Five Worlds War: One Piece Campaign
by Author Nicholas Drew
Summary: Part 3 is here! The Alliance continues their journey in freeing their worlds from the control of the Conqueror's Coalition. It's a war on the high seas as the stakes continue to rise for Ichigo, Naruto, Luffy, Natsu, and all of their allies.
1. Chapter 1: Chitsujo's Dream

**A.N: OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! It seems like it's been ages, hasn't it? Well, it has. I grew a beard. Shaved it. Grew it again. Shaved it again. You know how it goes. But anyway, Five Worlds War is back with the One Piece Campaign! I know I said I was going to release this on the anniversary of when the Fairy Tail Campaign originally came out, but then I remembered that day is during finals week. Oh yeah, I'm about to graduate from college. Holy crap, time to find a job.**

 **Anyway, because of my increasingly busy schedule, I won't be doing any recaps, so let's just get right into it!**

 **Chapter 1: Chitsujo's Dream**

In the dark, dreary throne room of Rakuen's palace, Konton, Lord of Chaos and King of Rakuen, calmly sat on his throne, gazing at the screen before him. This screen was another piece of tech from Sagi's Research Department. The screen displayed the proverbial "highlights" from the previous campaign in the Wizard World. Next to the screen, one of Sagi's many research assistants stood calmly, allowing his king to observe the results of their research.

 _These Zetsu Clones, mixed with Ulquiorra Cifer's DNA are another stroke of genius from Master Sagi._ The assistant noted. _Unfortunately, we could not give the clones Ulquiorra's spiritual power, but they did inherit his ability to record everything with his eyes. What the Alliance doesn't know, is that we have almost every moment from the previous campaign recorded, with the exception of the two infiltrations of Mercurius._

The current battle Konton was watching was the final battle between Monkey D. Luffy and Zeref Dragneel. The dark king laughed in amusement, noting Luffy's growth in comparison to the beginning of the war. The assistant looked somewhat uncomfortable with his king's laughter. Those who had certain positions in Rakuen were privy to their king's true nature, and were sworn to secrecy as a result. Some convinced themselves that Konton was simply stressed from having to deal with so many enemies, and had to put up a front of a vicious conqueror to cope. They convinced themselves the man would return to the "benevolent" king they all saw at the end of the war.

Oh the lies we tell ourselves to feel better, and oh the power of a cult of personality, while we are at it…

"Look at him," Konton spoke up, "fighting so hard. Not only that, but he evolved during the fight, and has now covered up his most crippling weakness: the toll Fourth Gear takes on his body."

"Utterly splendid," Konton sounded disturbingly cheerful, "when Brother told me he placed his trust in four lifeforms, who's creation he had interfered with, by giving them limitless potential, I thought he was an even bigger fool than I gave him credit for."

"But now," Konton continued, "I think I'm beginning to understand the benefit of it. If allowed to grow, a seed can grow into a mighty tree."

"However," a dark look adorned Konton's face, "this only applies if you allow the seed to grow, and not uproot it. Potential means nothing if you're not alive to reach it. And frankly, it's a waste of time to invest it in the one who could become great rather than the finished product."

"That is why my Acts of Chaos were naturals, prodigies in their respective fields, and I must say, it makes the fact that Zeref lost…rather irritating. There are fewer things worse than when my brother is proven right."

Konton took a deep breath to compose himself. He then chuckled darkly. "It's so adorable, really, how you think what you do actually makes a difference." He noted, referring to his brother and the Alliance. "You stand stubbornly against the violent winds of change, trying your best to weather the calamity that dooms you."

"And you manage to last, for a few hopeful moments, because you are able to put your faith in the possibility that you will one day become strong enough to fight back against the calamity. But true calamities are ones you cannot beat. Otherwise, they're simply trials, challenges that you overcome."

"So by all means hold onto the hope you can weather the calamity. Continue to resist. But be warned, destruction is the only way a calamity can end. There will be no victory, there will be no survival. Your 'alliance' will not save you. Death is all that awaits you."

"So just try to entertain me, Brother, because nothing makes me happier than watching you fail."

 **(Meanwhile, in Menou)**

In solitude, Lord Chitsujo rose from a prayer and prepared to leave for the Alliance's new headquarters. "It's regretful that you've become so twisted, Brother." Chitsujo lamented, as though he were beginning a rebuttal to a speech he did not realize had just occurred.

"You've created a conquering army with the shared goal of conquest, and yet there is nothing about your Coalition that says: 'we are a united front.'"

"You've forgotten, Brother, forgotten one of the most important things that we, as children, should have learned from the life of our father. Unity can change the future. It can weather even the most powerful storms."

"But more importantly, Brother, you've forgotten that true strength, comes from effort. A person becomes stronger, when they refuse to accept that they have reached their limit. You will never win, because to the Alliance, limits are a state of mind."

And so, with a wave of his hand, Chitsujo opened a portal to the Pirate World. Taking a deep breath, Chitsujo stepped into the portal and immediately found himself on the other side: the country of Dressrosa.

Dressrosa had rebuilt itself as a country very quickly after the fall of Donquixote Doflamingo. Chitsujo guessed that the people were buoyed by the return of the popular Riku Dold III as king. And when Riku returned to the throne, the spirit of the country seemed to return with him.

Chitsujo could not help but worry. _This country has been through so much, and now they need to serve as the home base for a war._

Chitsujo returned every single polite, respectful greeting from civilians who knew of him with a curt nod of his own. _At least they all seem much happier now._ He added. _The light of this country that shone during Doflamingo's reign was as false as can be, a perfect model of what this world truly is, the false utopia run by the World Government and the Celestial Dragons. The happiness of this country, the peace of this country, it was all nothing but false light._

 _Even if it wasn't your intention, Luffy, you're a hero, you did a wonderful thing for this country._

Chitsujo then arrived at the palace, and was immediately greeted by the guards, who also recognized the King of Menou. "Welcome to Dressrosa, Lord Chitsujo." They said in unison.

Chitsujo gave both men his usual, pleasant, kingly smile. "At ease, men." He said. "I'm just here to meet with Supreme Commander Dragon and the Intelligence Division Commanders. I believe I was expected back today?"

"You were, Milord." The guard on the left responded. "They are expecting you in the meeting hall."

"Wonderful, is there anyone in the meeting hall?"

"All Fighting Division Commanders are present as well, sir."

"Ah, that works out perfectly," Chitsujo nodded, satisfied with Dragon's foresight to adding the Fighting Division Commanders to the meeting, "keep up the good work, gentlemen."

With that Chitsujo entered Dressrosa's castle and was quick to make his way to the meeting hall, greeting everyone politely and curtly. When he reached the meeting hall, he was greeted by a large table, much like the one in the meeting hall of Mercurius, with ten others sitting at the table, five to a side, and one chair at the head of the table.

"Good day, my friends," Chitsujo greeted them all pleasantly, but in an all-business tone, "I thank you for your patience these past few months."

"I think I speak for all of us when I say we needed a break." Shunsui Kyōraku noted.

Chitsujo took his seat at the head of the table. "Very well then, I hereby declare our very first meeting for the Pirate World Campaign has officially begun."

Everyone fell silent at Chitsujo's words. "Now then, we'll skip the pleasantries and get right to it. First, has everyone taken the time to consider my proposal from a few weeks ago?"

Everyone nodded in unison. "We have," Dragon said, "I have to admit, Chitsujo, you surprised a lot of us with this proposal."

"Indeed," Mavis Vermillion nodded, "you know, a lot of people would consider your proposal to be impractical."

Chitsujo had to agree with Mavis's words. "You are correct, Mavis, my proposal at first glance is extremely impractical."

"You proposed to completely rejigger the organization of the divisions for this campaign alone." Shikaku Nara could not help but smile at the man he had pegged as by the book, going completely against the grain. "You're absolutely right, Lord Chitsujo, your proposal was incredibly impractical."

Chitsujo smiled knowingly. "you say that, but judging by the tone of your voice, you seem to have accepted my proposal regardless of how impractical it was."

"Indeed, we've spent a good part of our past several weeks, doing just that. We've rejiggered all five of the Fighting Divisions into fleets that have soldiers from every single division." Shikaku revealed.

"I think you'll be happy with the people we've placed, Milord." Kisuke Urahara spoke up, "We tried to keep in mind past reports on how people have interacted in their current divisions and how they've behaved in the past with allies from their world."

"Very good, Kisuke, I knew I could count on you all." Chitsujo nodded in satisfaction. "And thank you all for accepting my proposal."

"It was good of you to propose it, Milord." Benn Beckman said. "Even if it seems asinine to change up the divisions, after everyone developed chemistry with each other before, this particular situation actually requires us to alter them."

"Perhaps you could provide insight into the matter, Beckman?" Shunsui requested. "Honestly, I myself am still a bit uncertain of the matter."

"That's because you spent most of your time during our preparations drinking and sleeping." Jellal Fernandes gave the 1st Division Commander a deadpan expression.

"That's the only way to spend your time when you've got as much time off as we did." Shunsui grinned, flashing Jellal the peace sign.

"But we weren't technically on break." Kakashi Hatake reminded Shunsui.

"YOU SPENT ALL YOUR TIME READING PORN!" Jellal yelled at Kakashi's audacity to make such a statement.

"What? That is not a waste." Kakashi corrected Jellal before adding in an angry tone. "And do not criticize Make-Out Paradise: Hot Springs Edition as mere porn. This is art."

"Well, even if it is art, it could technically still be porn. After all, a lot of art can be argued as such." Byakuya Kuchiki spoke up. "There have been plenty of nude paintings and sculptures over the years."

"I…cannot believe those three sentences just came out of your mouth." Sabo admitted.

Chitsujo then clapped his hands together, getting everyone back on track. "As happy as I am to see that you are all speaking so familiarly with each other, it seems I owe an explanation to anyone who still doesn't understand the benefits of my proposal."

Shunsui chuckled sheepishly. "The reason why I wanted to rejigger the structure of the divisions for this particular campaign is quite simple: a big part of this campaign will be island hopping. That means every island we visit will be a miniature campaign." Chitsujo explained to his comrades.

"That means," Chitsujo continued, "we need soldiers from every division on each island, so that we do not have any weaknesses our enemies can exploit. Each division was formed to have various specialties. We were able to get away with it before because our battlefield was only a single country. We could position each division based on where they could best maneuver."

"However, this time, it's different." Chitsujo reminded them. "Each island could very well have troops positioned that could very well capitalize on the weaknesses of any of our divisions if we let them remain the way they are."

Kakashi nodded. "It definitely makes more sense, hearing it all laid out in front of us like that." He noted. "We send a highly specialized fleet to an island, they could very well become bogged down by enemy forces that they are incapable of besting due to being a mismatch, especially if the enemy has caught onto how we organized the divisions."

"So, just to confirm, you took the opportunity to reorganize the divisions into our new fleets, correct?" Chitsujo inquired.

"That is correct, sir, we also decided that for the sake of a bit of familiarity, the current Fighting Division Commanders would remain in command." Mavis replied. "Commander Kyōraku will command the 1st Fleet; Commander Sabo will command the 2nd Fleet; Commander Hatake will command the 3rd Fleet; Commander Kuchiki will command the 4th Fleet; and Commander Fernandes will command the 5th Fleet."

"Will there be any issue with you four?" Chitsujo asked of Shunsui, Kakashi, Jellal and Byakuya. "None of you have ever been to sea."

"That's what we have our fellow pirates for." Shunsui pointed out. "I'm sure they'll be happy to share their seafaring knowledge with us plebs."

"Shunsui, stop trying to be hip." Jellal deadpanned.

"What about the Support Divisions?" Byakuya inquired. "Their roles are quite important as well, are they not?"

"Intelligence and Defense Divisions will remain stationed here, like before. And the Medical and Stealth Divisions will be divided up and placed among the fleets." Shikaku replied.

"The Stealth Division is sticking with the Fighting Divisions this time?" Sabo was surprised.

Chitsujo nodded. "The element of surprise will be lost this time. The Coalition will no doubt be positioning troops on all of the shorelines. The Stealth Division will mainly be focused on sabotage during this campaign." He explained. "So, it makes more sense for them to break away from the main force to conduct any sabotage missions that are necessary."

"But one last thing I would like to add, this is also because I am keeping the long game in mind." Chitsujo revealed. "Eventually, we will be marching on Rakuen, and we will be doing so together. So, I expect every soldier to be able to work well with their comrades, regardless of what division they are in."

"That makes sense too," Kisuke spoke up, "the sooner everyone can build a rapport with each other regardless of the divisions they are in, the better."

"And the better chemistry we have, the better shape we'll be in when we face off against Rakuen." Beckman added.

"Now, I will ask once more, does anyone have any objections to this plan for troop placement?" Chitsujo inquired of everyone.

One by one, everyone shook their heads. "Very good, what's next on the agenda?"

"So, this campaign is all about island hopping? You do know this is going to be difficult, right?" Sabo pointed out. "Remember, we're fighting our way out of the New World and then the Grand Line. Navigating the Grand Line isn't exactly a walk in the park you know."

Chitsujo nodded. "And that is why I managed to procure log poses for you all." He revealed. "There are multiple paths out of the first half of the Grand Line that takes you through many different islands. We can't visit them all, but I'm confident we can take out enough of the Coalition's forces that they will be forced to retreat."

"Just remember that our main objective is to find Blackbeard and have him either eliminated or captured." Chitsujo reminded them all. "Cut off the head of the snake and the body dies. We know he is hiding out somewhere in either the first half of the Grand Line or one of the Four Blues."

"That actually bothers me a little, why would he vacate his own territories in the New World?" Kakashi asked.

"For one thing, it's because many of our own comrades are knowledgeable of Whitebeard's old territories." Sabo pointed out. "And even if it was the easier path to becoming one of the Four Emperors, Blackbeard made a horrible mistake in thinking it was a good longterm strategy."

"There are also the other two emperors that need to be taken into consideration." Jellal pointed out. "Kaido and Big Mom; Blackbeard was smart to vacate his territories in the New World. Either of those two could see that as an opportunity to attack and take some of those territories."

Byakuya nodded. "I'm sure he's confident he can regain whatever territories he lost." He noted before adding disdainfully. "The fool, he's not going to survive this campaign. We will make sure of it."

"Damn, that was surprisingly dark of you, Byakuya." Shunsui said fondly.

"Speaking of which, Jellal brings up a good point." Sabo pointed out. "Kaido and Big Mom are something we need to worry about. Those two are wild cards. If they get involved, things could get bad real quick. To be frank, I worry for the safety of the people of Dressrosa. They are not equipped to deal with an attack from any of the Four Emperors. Doflamingo was a monster, but his deals with Kaido definitely kept Dressrosa safe."

"We won't have to worry about the Four Emperors." Chitsujo smiled knowingly.

"Err, why is that?" Dragon asked, confused. "With all due respect, Chitsujo, didn't one of your boys piss off Kaido when he went to save Kidd?"

"And once you end up on Big Mom's radar, she won't just let you go." Sabo added.

"Both statements are very true," Chitsujo revealed, "but you see, my friends, there was a reason why I allowed the so-called 'spies' from Kaido and Linlin to remain active without any opposition."

Sabo's eyes widened in realization. "You let them remain active to pass on the information of our strength to the Four Emperors and intimidate them into staying out of the battle!" He exclaimed.

Shikaku smiled. "Remind me never to call you naive. In reality, you are quite the magnificent bastard when you want to be, Milord." He complimented.

Chitsujo chuckled. "Never forget what my job is. I knew from the very beginning, Drake, Apoo and Bege would be spying for Kaido and Linlin. Those two think they are playing me for a fool, but in reality, I've been playing them the minute all three men realized the difference in power between Menou and the Four Emperors. Bege, Apoo and Drake know better than to give any actual reports on our military intelligence, because then the Beasts Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates will be compelled to attack, and they know that won't go well for either crew. The only information Kaido and Linlin will be getting, is that this is one foe they should not try to face."

Dragon could not help but grin. "A man who can brush off the threat of any of the Four Emperors. Thank God you're on our side, Chitsujo."

Chitsujo chuckled again. "Don't worry, I have no intention of shaking up this world by starting a full-on war with either of them. As long as they stay out of our war, they'll be left alone."

"You assume they'll stay out of the war." Dragon pointed out.

"I'm not foolish," Chitsujo assured Dragon, "worry not, the line between Dressrosa and the territories of Linlin and Kaido will be held."

"I have sent for two of Four Arch Generals." Chitsujo revealed. "They will be arriving shortly. General Fūgetsu the Graceful Winds, and General Suiken the Stormy Seas; two fine upstanding generals who are perfect for sinking naval fleets. If Kaido and Linlin think they will be allowed to play the role of…opportunist, they are severely mistaken."

"The reports we're getting from King Toma back in the Wizard World about General Raika are very positive so far." Mavis spoke up. "Raika's display of power seems to have not only deterred the Alvarez Empire, but King Toma claims that the general has been nothing but affable and friendly."

Chitsujo nodded. "Raika is like a friendly old uncle." He explained. "I knew I was leaving Fiore in good hands with him. He's exactly what the country needs to help heal its wounds and protect it at the same time."

"And General Fūgetsu and General Suiken?" Shikaku inquired curiously.

"Friendly enough, although they are both serious tacticians. They might come across as a bit prickly at first, but they are good people at heart. Fūgetsu has a bad habit of acting cold to strangers, but once she gets to know you, she's fine. Suiken has tremendous pride in himself and his abilities, but his loyalty and kindness cannot be questioned. Just…well, be sure to give him credit when he thinks he's done something worthy of it, otherwise you'll never hear the end of it from him."

"A guy who's kind but has tremendous pride, huh?" Shunsui muttered.

Everyone then turned to Byakuya Kuchiki, who frowned at them, realizing what they were implying with those gazes. Chitsujo chuckled in amusement. "You'll become friends with them soon enough. Now, let me think here, we've discussed our new fleets, how we will deal with Kaido and Linlin if they decide to get uppity. Now, is there anything else on the agenda?"

"The Mink Tribe has agreed to throw their support in with the Alliance in return for the medical aid we provided to their two chieftains." Sabo told Chitsujo. "I honestly feel bad that we have two big advantages in Orihime and Hacchi on our side. Having healers like them allows us to win quite a few allies with ease. It's honestly not fair."

"Alliance morale is incredibly high." Kakashi continued. "No surprise there."

"Luffy and Naruto are on day ten of their fight at Green Bit." Shunsui said casually.

"Of course there's no surprise that morale is incredibly high." Chitsujo smiled. "We are coming off a great victory. Their spirits are high and ready for battle once again."

Chitsujo's mind then registered the third statement. "Wait, what?" He said flatly.

Everyone else then either gave a sheepish smile or an embarrassed blush with the exception of Beckman, Shikaku, Dragon and Byakuya. "We didn't want to say anything because we were sure it would be over by the time you returned to Dressrosa." Jellal admitted. "But they've been at this longer than we expected."

Chitsujo face-palmed. "Why am I not surprised?" He muttered, already feeling a headache coming on. "What are they fighting about?"

"Well, it went like this," Kisuke began, "ten days ago, Luffy went up to Naruto and was like…"

"Guess what, Naruto, my Son Gokū is way stronger and cooler than your Kurama!" Mavis declared, playing the role of Luffy. "And Naruto said…"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Kisuke shot back, playing the role of Naruto. "There's no way Son is better than Kurama! He's the Nine-Tailed Fox! The strongest of the Tailed Beasts! And Luffy said…"

"No way! It's all about quality over quantity! Having five more tails doesn't make Kurama better than Son!" Mavis continued.

Chitsujo heaved a tired sigh. "And let me guess, it just spiraled out of control from there?" He asked. "Also, I'm surprised Luffy knows the phrase 'quality over quantity.'"

"Yeah, they've been at Green Bit since the argument began." Sabo sounded exasperated at his little brother's behavior.

"Yeah, for the past few days they've been like 'Ora Ora Ora'!" Mavis yelled while punching the air.

"And 'Muda Muda Muda'!" Kisuke added.

"I seriously doubt they were shouting that." Chitsujo deadpanned. "Neither of them are the type to shout battle cries."

"Well, yeah, we did add a little bit of dramatic flair to the story." Mavis admitted. "But, other than the battle cries, it was all true."

Chitsujo heaved another sigh. "I always knew their competitive natures would sometimes get a bit out of hand, but this is just petty." He said in annoyance. "You said they were at Green Bit, right?"

"Yeah," Kakashi Hatake heaved a sigh, "Ichigo and Natsu went with them just to make sure neither went overboard. Considering we haven't heard from any of them over the past ten days, I guess they haven't gone overboard yet."

"And we're never going to find out." Chitsujo said in a surprisingly dark tone. "This argument ends now."

Chitsujo got to his feet. "If that is all, I'm bringing this meeting to a close. I have some children that I apparently need to discipline." He said calmly.

 _He sounds so cold when he talks like that._ Everyone thought in unison.

"Dismissed, everyone," Chitsujo said, managing a smile for everyone else, "I look forward to seeing you all off, and then eventually seeing you all again as victors of this campaign."

 _He shouldn't force a smile like that when he's about to discipline Naruto and Luffy like two bratty children._ Everyone deadpanned inwardly.

Chitsujo then clapped his hands together and teleported away from the war room. Kisuke immediately took out his fan and exclaimed: "Taking all bets! What is Chitsujo going to do to those boys?"

"He'll let them off with a warning." Byakuya quickly said. "It's pretty much his fault they are the way they are in the first place."

Beckman laughed in amusement. "Chitsujo does often come across as the kind of dad who will sneak an extra $5 into his kid's allowance, doesn't he?"

"Anyone else want to get in on this?" Kisuke inquired. "Shikaku, Mavis, any thoughts?"

"He'll punish them," Shikaku responded without hesitation.

"Yeah, but he won't be too harsh." Mavis added. "But still, those boys aren't going to get out of this without a few lumps on their heads."

Meanwhile, at Green Bit, Ichigo Kurosaki and Natsu Dragneel sat cross-legged in what appeared to be an impromptu picnic, courtesy of Black Leg Sanji. "I have to admit, that Sanji is one hell of a cook." Ichigo admitted, munching on a sandwich.

"Yeah, I always thought Mira was the best cook," Natsu said, "but Sanji is on a completely different level."

An explosion rocked Green Bit. The two barely reacted, having grown used to it over the past ten days. "Sure was nice of him to provide us these snacks while we kept watch of this spat of their's." Ichigo noted, taking a glance at the two figures at the center of the explosion.

"Man, if it weren't for all these delicious meals, I'd be totally joining in." Natsu admitted with a grin. "I'm getting fired up just watching them."

"Yeah, please don't." Ichigo deadpanned. "I need you here with me in order to stop those two if things get out of hand. I can't do that if you join in."

Another explosion rang out. Ichigo sighed. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Ten days of fighting sounds about right with these two." He noted.

"Tailed Beast Rasengan!" Naruto Uzumaki yelled, forming a Rasengan with Kurama's Chakra.

"Gum Gum Māhukona Bazooka!" Luffy responded, firing the palms of his hands into Naruto's Rasengan.

The two were blown back by a third explosion. They quickly recovered and glared at each other. "I'm gonna win!" Naruto declared. "And then you're going to bow down to Kurama's amazing superiority!"

"No way!" Luffy shot back. "You're gonna lose and bow down to Son's superiority, you and your dumb, fuzzy fox!"

"Could do without their pissing contest in between these attacks though." Ichigo admitted. "They just keep reminding me that they're fighting for one of the dumbest reasons in history."

Natsu could not argue with that, then again, he was rarely any better. Suddenly, Chitsujo appeared in between them, causing the two of them to leap in surprise. "Gah! Hey, Chitsujo!" Natsu was surprised. "When did you get back?"

Chitsujo frowned. "Just awhile ago," he replied, "and imagine my surprise when I hear that two of you are arguing."

Ichigo sighed. "We were hoping they'd resolve this stupid argument before you got back." He admitted. "But no, they've been at this for ten days and have shown no signs of slowing down."

Chitsujo watched as the other two Acts continued to violently clash in their childish spat. Neither of them noticed his arrival. "Okay, I'm putting a moratorium on this." He said. "First, Metamorphosis."

Ichigo and Natsu both gasped as Chitsujo's Reiki became Chakra. He then held his hand in the familiar sign. "Shadow Clone Jutsu." He said as a clone of Chitsujo appeared by his side.

Natsu pouted. "That power of yours is cheating."

Chitsujo and his shadow clone then sped towards Naruto and Luffy, appearing behind the both of them in an instant while they tried to attack each other, not noticing the approaching danger. Then, with two quick punches to the head, Luffy and Naruto were both knocked to the ground, unconscious. "ONE PUNCH!" Natsu and Ichigo screamed, horrified.

The two Chitsujos dusted their hands off. The shadow clone then popped out of existence. "As much as I enjoy hearing that you two are pushing each other like this, I'd rather you didn't do it because of dumb arguments like these." He told the downed fighters.

Natsu and Ichigo looked at their two downed brothers for a moment. Ichigo then spoke up. "Umm…I think you might've hit them a bit too hard."

"No, I didn't," Chitsujo was quick to deny.

"They're…not moving." Natsu pointed out, surprisingly attentive.

Chitsujo looked down at Luffy and Naruto and came to a realization. They had been at this for ten days…and he had just punched them both like he would if they were at a hundred percent. Hence the reason why they were currently out cold. Chitsujo heaved a sigh, now frustrated with himself. "Damn it…" he muttered.

Five minutes later, Luffy and Naruto were revived. The two looked down at the ground like two sad children who had just been scolded. "Look at you two, we're about to begin our second campaign and you are arguing about which Tailed Beast is superior." Chitsujo scolded them.

Chitsujo heaved a sigh. "I'm not mad that you two are fighting and pushing each other to your very limits. I want all four of you to constantly push each other, because that's how the four of you are going to continue growing stronger, which is exactly what I want for you. But childish arguments like these are not productive."

"I'm sorry," Luffy and Naruto said in unison.

Chitsujo shook his head and gave both boys a smile. "You should devote your energies elsewhere. And for the record, a Tailed Beast is incredibly powerful, the rankings of tails or anything like that means absolutely nothing."

"And besides," Chitsujo continued, "what matters is the bond between the Jinchūriki and the Tailed Beast, which makes both stronger. Who's stronger doesn't matter. Do we understand?"

"Yes, sir," Luffy and Naruto said.

Ichigo and Natsu both snickered. "That goes for you boys as well." Chitsujo looked at them. "I looked the other way when you four sparred in my palace gardens, because that was the only way for the four of you to properly get to know each other, but this is just shameful."

"Yes, sir," Ichigo and Natsu said.

Chitsujo gave them all a smile. "Now that we've gotten that out of the way though, let me say that I am proud of the progress the four of you have made so far." He told them. "Examining your power levels now and comparing them to what they were before the war, you are leagues above what you were at the beginning."

"Good work, all of you, as your leader, I am proud to call you my comrades." Chitsujo told them.

At that moment, Luffy got to his feet. "If I've grown, then give me a match, Chitsujo!"

This surprised Ichigo, Natsu and Naruto. "Huh? Luffy, have you lost your mind?" Ichigo asked. "You do know who you're challenging, right?"

"No fair!" Natsu yelled. "I wanted to challenge him first."

"I called dibs." Luffy stuck his tongue out. He then turned his attention back to Chitsujo. "So, what do you say, Chitsujo? You up for a match?"

Chitsujo raised an eyebrow for a moment before giving Luffy a smile. "I knew one of you would challenge me eventually." He noted. "Tell me, Luffy, what brought this sudden desire to challenge me?"

"It's just like you said, we've gotten so much stronger since the war started!" Luffy pointed out. "And now that I've beaten Zeref, I've gotta know how much further I'm from Konton! You're his twin, right? That means you two are equally strong."

"Luffy, that's not how being twins works." Ichigo deadpanned.

Chitsujo chuckled. "A fair statement; I suppose I do owe it to the four of you to show you the scale of the mountain you boys are to climb if you are to challenge not only Konton, but every other warrior from Rakuen who's going to be standing between you and him."

Chitsujo walked ten paces away from Luffy and turned around, facing him. "Ichigo, Natsu, Naruto, I advise the three of you to stay back." Chitsujo told them.

Luffy laughed in excitement. "This is going to be so awesome!" He exclaimed.

 _This is not going to end well._ The other three thought in unison.

Luffy started stretching while Chitsujo simply stood with that usual calm expression on his face. "Alright, Luffy," he said with a smile, "go ahead and come at me with everything you've got."

"Everything I've got?" Luffy wanted to confirm that.

"That's right, everything." Chitsujo told him. "Hold nothing back. I want you to hit me as hard as you can."

"You sure you can take it? You're actually pretty old, right?" Luffy grinned. "I'd hate to make you break a hip or something."

"Is Luffy trash talking?" Naruto was surprised. "I thought that was Ichigo's thing."

"Hey!" Ichigo yelled.

Chitsujo chuckled in amusement at the jest. "Oh no, don't worry about me." He said. "I may be an old man, but I promise you, several millennia of training my body to the absolute limit in order to be the most reliable king possible is nothing to sneeze at."

Luffy grinned. "Excellent!" He exclaimed, raising his arm up. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Luffy then bit into his forearm. "Muscle Balloon!" He yelled, blowing into it.

Chitsujo watched as Luffy's body expanded. "Fourth Gear: Bounce Man!" Luffy declared as he entered the mighty Fourth Gear.

"Oh? You're not going to use Son Gokū?" Chitsujo was surprised. "Are you sure you're not taking me lightly, Luffy?"

"No, you did say you wanted me to hit you as hard as you can. And Fourth Gear is just about tied with my Lava Style Chakra Mode in punching power!" Luffy revealed. "And most importantly, I want to see just how much I can do before tapping into Son's power!"

Chitsujo sighed. "Very well," he said, "let us begin."

Luffy immediately rocketed towards Chitsujo, who calmly stood his ground. Luffy immediately blew into his right arm, inflating it even more. "Whoa, right off the bat?" Natsu was shocked at the sight.

"Luffy knows he can't let this fight take too long. How this fight goes depends on what his first attack does to Chitsujo." Ichigo pointed out.

"Gum Gum King Kong Gun!" Luffy yelled, launching his fist at Chitsujo.

The sudden shockwave created a massive dust cloud that obscured both Luffy and Chitsujo from the sight of the three spectators. Several trees were uprooted from the ground from the force of the attack. "Holy crap, that's nuts!" Naruto yelled. "I know Chitsujo's practically a god, but are we sure he didn't at least feel that one?"

"We'll find out once the dust settles." Ichigo said calmly.

Shortly after Ichigo said that, the dust began to settle. First, a frustrated Monkey D. Luffy was revealed, with his giant fist still stretched out. Then, Chitsujo was revealed, smiling with victory as he held back Luffy's King Kong Gun with his bare hand.

Natsu and Naruto's mouths both dropped open in disbelief. The attack that KO'd Donquixote Doflamingo and almost took out Zeref Dragneel was just stopped effortlessly. "You've gotta be kidding me." Luffy said in frustration.

"Luffy, since I am a man of courtesy, I will allow you to throw another attack at me. However, I expect you to hit me with Son's power this time." Chitsujo told him. "Use the power you gained at Tenrou, and show me the full extent of your growth."

Luffy growled and bounced away from Chitsujo, deflating his body to his regular form. "You heard him, Son, let's do this!" He yelled.

With that, Luffy's body was covered in lava. "Okay, Chitsujo, just remember you asked for this!" Luffy yelled.

Luffy then charged the King of Menou, inflating both of his fists. "Here's a little something new I picked up after Tenrou!" He yelled. "Gum Gum Mauna Loa Gatling!"

With that, Luffy fired his two, gigantic, volcanic fists at Chitsujo. Chitsujo gave Luffy an impressed smile before crossing his arms in an 'x' out in front of him. The three spectators watched in shock as Chitsujo stood his ground and took all of Luffy's explosive punches without even flinching.

"Umm…I think it's safe to say who's going to win this one." Natsu muttered in utter disbelief at how powerful Chitsujo was.

Even Ichigo was shocked. _It's not even fair,_ he thought, _he's on a completely different level from all of us._

Naruto shook his head in disbelief. _No doubt about it,_ he thought, _he's the strongest man in the Alliance. Forget Dragon, forget the Five Kage, forget everyone, Chitsujo is undoubtably the best._

Luffy surprisingly kept punching, intent on making Chitsujo feel at least one punch. Chitsujo, however, had other ideas. "I think I've made my point," Chitsujo said, "it's time to end this."

With a sudden shockwave of Reiki that actually travelled all over Green Bit, Luffy's arms were blown back to him. Luffy's mouth dropped open and his eyes widened when he fully realized just how outmatched he really was. Chitsujo then appeared in front of him in an instant, ready to flick him across the head. "Apologies," he said before flicking Luffy.

The three spectating Acts face-faulted in utter disbelief as Luffy was sent flying all the way across Green Bit from a single flick to the forehead. Chitsujo then gave the boys a smile. "So, would any of you like to see how far you are from my level, while we're at it?" He inquired.

"No, we're good!" The three said in unison.

Chitsujo laughed in amusement. "I'll go get Luffy. I'll be right back."

Chitsujo vanished for a brief moment before returning with an unconscious Luffy. He gently laid him on his back before slapping him gently a few times to wake him up. The other Acts gathered around him, slightly worried.

Luffy groaned as he stirred awake. "What happened?" He asked groggily.

"You got your ass kicked, idiot." Ichigo told him.

"I did?" Luffy asked before remembering. "Oh yeah, I did."

Luffy then noticed Chitsujo. "Man, you're on a totally different level, Chitsujo." Luffy complimented. "And I thought my grandpa hit hard."

"It's not just the fact that he beat you with a finger that's got me worried." Naruto admitted. "He took two of your best attacks and wasn't even fazed."

"No wonder Acnologia got his ass kicked." Natsu realized.

Chitsujo sat down, cross-legged. He invited the Acts to sit with him. "Boys, this is the inevitable result of thousands of years of dedicated training. Training with the goal to become a king my people could rely on, a king they could look up to."

"When I was a lot younger, I had dreams just like the four of you did. Whereas Luffy wants to become King of the Pirates, and Naruto wants to become the next Hokage, my dream back then was to become just as I have told you. A king who could serve as a symbol of peace, wisdom and strength for his people. I wanted my people to always be able to look up to me and feel safe, feel that fighting for and with me is worth the trouble."

"It may seem like an easy dream, considering the kind of pedestal kings are sometimes put on by people, and sometimes by themselves, but I had quite the act to follow."

"Your dad," Naruto realized.

Chitsujo nodded. "Father was the greatest king and the greatest man I ever knew. He was a true symbol of all of those things I mentioned. To become what I wanted to be, I had to either match or surpass him."

"But, it is never enough for me, because no matter what I do, nothing will ever compare to him." Chitsujo admitted. "But I am not discouraged, so I continue to train my body, mind and spirit, trying to reach him."

"Listen to me, all of you," Chitsujo told them, "no matter how strong you become, there will always be someone greater than you. That is simply the rule of this universe."

"And that is why, with the paths you have chosen, you will always have two choices to make: to settle, or to push yourselves even further."

"If you truly wish to become what you hope to be, then you can never choose the former. You must continue to push yourselves to newer, greater heights. That is how achievements are made. That is how men like myself and my brother got to where we are. We started at the very bottom, and through diligent training, we reached amazing heights."

"But for me, it is never enough, because I want to surpass my limits and reach even greater heights." Chitsujo admitted. "Because to me, the only way I can achieve my dream is to surpass the man I always viewed as perfect. But how can you surpass perfection? I don't know, but I'm going to keep trying and find out."

"My point is, as you all are, the mountain you see before you. The mountain that is my brother and the Kingdom of Rakuen is not one you can hope to climb. At your current limit, there is nothing you can do."

"So tell me," Chitsujo said, "what will you do now that you know this? Will you accept your limits? Will you settle for what you currently have."

"Hell no," Luffy declared, "this dumb mountain I've gotta climb is in the way of the One Piece, I can't not climb it."

One by one, the other three Acts nodded in agreement. Chitsujo smiled proudly. "Exactly," he said, "never stop training. Never stop improving yourselves. Never stop trying to climb the mountains that stand before you. Surpass your limits again and again, and keep climbing until you've reached the very top. And after that, climb even further until you reach the heavens."

"Limits are only a state of mind, boys." Chitsujo told them. "Always remember that, and you will be able to climb this mountain before you."

All four boys bowed in respect to the man. "Thank you for the lesson, sir." They said in unison.

Luffy then grinned, already back to normal. "You just wait, Chitsujo, I'm going to surpass my limits again and again, and when I'm ready, I'm going to challenge you to a rematch!" He declared.

Ichigo smirked. "Maybe we should focus on taking down Konton, first?" He suggested playfully. "He'd be a good steppingstone to finding out if we're ready to challenge Chitsujo."

Naruto and Natsu both nodded in agreement. Chitsujo smiled with pride. This was the effect he was hoping to have. He knew all four boys were insanely competitive. So, if he gave them a very difficult goal to obtain, one that would take them a great deal of effort, that would span this war in its entirety, they would continue to grow past the limits that remaining confined in their own worlds would impose on them.

He would be that goal, that benchmark for them to reach. People become stronger when they have a goal or benchmark to reach. And so, he would remain the mighty, unbeatable King of Menou for as long as it was required for them to reach the level needed to survive the coming trials.

At that moment, Chitsujo became the subject of a one-sided rivalry with four different people. Exactly as planned.

Then, two new figures appeared behind Chitsujo. One was a beautiful, young-looking woman with green eyes, silver hair, a variation of the Menou military blazer—colored black and blue—with a miniskirt, knee-high socks and blue shoes. A naginata was strapped to her back.

The other was a red-eyed man with teal hair wearing the black and blue military blazer. He also had a katana strapped to his hip. "Lord Chitsujo," he addressed the king, "you can't just go running off and shirking your responsibilities to discipline children. We were hoping to be greeted by you when we arrived at Dressrosa."

Chitsujo smiled. "Apologies, Suiken," he said before addressing the woman, "and apologies to you as well, Fūgetsu. However, this matter did require my immediate attention. Besides, considering I was able to turn this into a teaching moment for these boys, I don't think I can call this 'shirking my responsibilities.'"

Arch General Suiken gazed at the Acts of Order for a brief moment before nodding. "I shall trust your judgement then, Milord." He said.

"So then, I guess these four are Lord Chitsujo's Acts of Order." Arch General Fūgetsu realized. "Interesting, I'd never seen them in person."

"And you two are." Ichigo could not help but be a bit wary of them because of how cold they seemed. That, and he could also tell that they were both quite powerful.

Chitsujo smiled. "Boys, I would like to introduce you to two of my Four Arch Generals, the warriors whom I have entrusted with command of my armies in my absence." He said. "This is Suiken and Fūgetsu."

"Wait, your name means 'drunken fist?'" Naruto asked Suiken in disbelief.

Chitsujo almost face-palmed at that statement. Suiken narrowed his eyes and was in front of Naruto in a second, instinctively drawing his sword and aiming it right at Naruto's throat. The Acts gasped in disbelief at how fast he was. "Suiken," Chitsujo spoke up, "please put your sword away, Naruto didn't mean anything by it."

Suiken's eyes widened, realizing his mistake. "My apologies, Milord." He said, sheathing his katana. "It appears I still haven't kicked that old habit of mine."

"And if you are Naruto, then that makes you Naruto Uzumaki." Suiken noted before bowing apologetically. "My apologies to you as well, you've drudged up some old memories I'd prefer forgetting. I know you didn't mean to. Also, for the record, my name can also mean 'water sword' if you write it with different characters."

"So," Ichigo quickly decided to change the subject, "you brought two of your Arch Generals here, Chitsujo?"

Fūgetsu narrowed her eyes. "I don't care about your connection with him," she said, "you will address Lord Chitsujo with the proper titles."

Ichigo looked at her in disbelief. It was like he was looking at a female Byakuya. "Its fine, Fūgetsu, the boys never have been one with formalities. If anything, the only time they call me 'sir' is when I'm done teaching them something." Chitsujo told her. "And that is good enough."

Fūgetsu then walked up to the Acts of Order. "Part of Lord Chitsujo's plan to win this war involves making you four, along with the rest of the Alliance, strong enough to stand against Rakuen." She told them. "I was opposed to this plan because it forces us into a war of attrition, and wars of attrition always cost more lives."

"Unfortunately, I had to concede the notion because I was unable to offer any alternatives, arguably a tactician's greatest shame." She said. "A lot of good men and women have died, and will continue to die as we wait for you Otherworlders to become stronger."

Ichigo then noticed Fūgetsu's expression soften. "So tell me," she said, "do you really think you are capable of reaching that level? Are you capable of making all of that sacrifice meaningful?"

 _Tell me, and I shall reconsider my doubts._ She added inwardly.

At that moment, Ichigo realized that with all of her coldness, Fūgetsu was hiding an incredibly kind, but also burdened heart. "Hell yeah we can do it!" Natsu declared before he could reply. "You just watch, we're all going to get stronger and stronger! So strong even you Arch Generals won't be able to beat us!"

Fūgetsu gazed at Natsu for a moment before nodding. "I look forward to seeing your growth." She said. "Don't disappoint me, or the dead for that matter."

Suiken folded his arms. "It's a shame we will be far too preoccupied with our orders." He mused. "I would very much love to see the Acts of Order, that Lord Chitsujo has placed so much faith in, in action."

"Huh, you're not going to join us for this campaign?" Naruto was surprised.

Suiken shook his head. "Fūgetsu and I have been assigned to guard the waters from Kaido and Big Mom." He said. "A tall order for you perhaps, but I can assure you, we are up to the task."

Before they could respond to Suiken's confident statement, he continued. "I do hope you show the proper gratitude. After all, considering both of those Emperors are big opportunists, they will no doubt try to attack you while your backs are turned. But thanks to us, those backs will be kept safe without fail. Well, go on. Thank me. It seems like the least you can do, don't you think?" He ranted.

Chitsujo face-palmed. Suiken was the only member of the Arch Generals that was somewhat eccentric, but nowhere near the level his Saint Warriors were. He was definitely the eccentric one of the four, what with his tendency to go off on long rants about how people should be grateful to him whenever he did something. The fourth Arch General simply had a hot temper. However, what set Suiken apart was that he was all business once he was on the job, and also incredibly popular with his troops, whom he made an effort to learn all of their names. Oddly enough, he kept this habit of his under control when on the battlefield.

Chitsujo then decided to cut in. "They are all very grateful, Suiken, as am I." Chitsujo told the man. "Without you two, and Raika holding the border in Fiore, we could very well be fighting wars on multiple fronts, which we cannot have."

"Another one of your Arch Generals is back home?" Natsu was surprised.

"Long story," Chitsujo replied, "but all you need to know is that your homeland is safe, Natsu."

Luffy then spoke up while counting on his fingers. "But that's three," he said, "where's the fourth guy?"

Suiken and Fūgetsu heaved an exhausted sigh simultaneously. Chitsujo folded his arms. "General Tsuchimaru the Great Inferno, has chosen to remain locked inside of Menou's deepest prison for the time being, until he feels he has calmed down enough to join the fight." He explained.

"Wait, he's in jail?" Naruto was surprised. "What did he do?"

"Oh, you misunderstand, he did nothing." Chitsujo revealed. "Tsuchimaru entered that cell of his own volition."

"Who enters a jail cell willingly?" Ichigo deadpanned.

"Apparently, Tsuchimaru does." Suiken responded.

"The man is a fantastic general whom is capable of commanding a great deal of love and respect from his troops, but he also has a very violent temper." Fūgetsu explained. "One that could've forced a direct conflict with Rakuen much sooner when this war started. When the war began, he wanted to engage Rakuen immediately."

"But Tsuchimaru also recognizes that his temper can be detrimental to the kingdom, especially now." Chitsujo was quick to defend the man. "So, he decided to lock himself in a prison cell and had his power restrained until he calmed down sufficiently."

"He sounds like a badass." Natsu was quick to say.

"A badass with just enough self-control to recognize that he would do more harm than good to his kingdom." Fūgetsu pointed out. "Still, he'll be quite a boon to our alliance's strength once he feels he is ready to rejoin us."

"Well, anyway, these guys must be pretty strong if they're going to hold Big Mom and Kaido back." Luffy noted.

"Not to brag or anything like that, but yeah, we are quite powerful." Suiken flipped his teal hair back with a confident smirk. "That and we were specifically given this job due to our powers."

"Well, what can you do?" Natsu asked.

Suiken smirked. "A smart man wouldn't reveal his powers so freely." He teased.

"Actually, we're all allies so it's no big deal." Chitsujo spoke up. "Besides, I already told Alliance leadership about yours and Fūgetsu's powers."

"HUH?!" Suiken's mouth dropped open. "That's not cool, Your Majesty! Secrecy is key to strategy!"

Chitsujo laughed in amusement. "I'm sorry, Suiken." He said. "I just think people deserve to know why I have such faith in you and Fūgetsu."

Fūgetsu nodded. "Indeed, Milord, even if it is tradition for the one who bears the soul of one of the Founding Emperor's five most trusted warriors to serve so closely to you, what is tradition in Menou is not necessarily understood in the other worlds."

"Huh?" Now Naruto was really confused.

"Fūgetsu, Suiken, Raika, and Tsuchimaru all bear the souls of four mighty warriors who served as my father's trusted confidantes." Chitsujo explained. "Before their end, they cast a ritual that transferred their souls and powers to new bodies. Fūgetsu and Suiken, for example are the latest to bear the souls of the mighty warriors, Fūjin and Suijin."

Suiken snickered. "I always knew Fūgetsu was tomboyish at heart." He muttered, making Fūgetsu turn red with rage.

Taking out her naginata, Fūgetsu slammed the butt-end of it into the back of Suiken's head, downing the man and then striking him in a rage. _Note to self, do not comment on that._ Ichigo and Naruto noted while Luffy and Natsu laughed at Suiken.

"The point is, the Arch Generals have as much of my trust as the Saint Warriors." Chitsujo said. "I would trust these two with any task. If Kaido and Linlin do try anything against Dressrosa, and by extension, the Alliance, they will have no issue in showing them what for."

Suiken recovered from his beating. "With our power, they won't even get to see the ports of Dressrosa." He vowed with a smirk. "I hope you are grateful."

Fūgetsu flicked her wrist and smacked Suiken in the head with the blunt end of her naginata again. "Sorry about him, I swear, he's not like this while he's on the job." Fūgetsu said. "Try to keep in mind what I said to you four. A general should care about the lives under his or her command, because the best strategy is the one that only makes the necessary sacrifices to win. I need you four to prove to me that the strategy we currently have is worth the sacrifices my kingdom has to make."

One by one, all four Acts of Order nodded. Fūgetsu gave them all a smile. "For what it's worth, I hope you all can back up your talk. I know I risk sounding like a broken record, but everyone wants to win this war. Nobody wants to fight forever, even Tsuchimaru."

Luffy stood up with a determined look on his face. "Hell yeah!" He yelled. "Let's go back and get ready to kick some ass, guys!"

"Yeah!" Naruto and Natsu cheered in agreement while Ichigo simply pumped his fist into the air.

Luffy, Naruto and Natsu then started walking towards Green Bit's shore with Ichigo following them. Chitsujo smiled with pride. "They really are amazing, aren't they?" He inquired of his generals.

Fūgetsu nodded. "I have to admit, Milord, I am still a bit uncertain of your strategy revolving around their growth, along with the growth of our allies, but they have a way of making you believe in them."

Suiken rubbed his head and watched the four walk towards the shore. "They don't have a way back, do they?" He inquired with a deadpan expression.

Chitsujo sighed in exasperation. "No, they do not." He muttered, "If you'll excuse me."

While Chitsujo walked towards his Acts of Order to transport them back to Dressrosa, Suiken addressed Fūgetsu with a serious expression on his face. "How do you really feel, Fūgetsu?" He inquired.

"I am nothing but honest with my king, if that is what you're implying." Fūgetsu frowned at Suiken. "I do want those boys to prove me wrong. Until then, I'm going to remain a healthy skeptic. A lot of good people have and are going to have to die in this war of attrition while the otherworlders grow strong enough to face Rakuen. Tsuchimaru may be temperamental, but he has a point. The quickest way to win is attacking Rakuen directly."

"Mmm, but that means leaving the other worlds to fight alone. I understand yours and Tsuchimaru's skepticism, but I fall more into Raika's line of thinking. There comes a point where morality and justice must outweigh a sense of strategy. You know how Raika has always talked about how a good tactician is one who doesn't treat war like a game or a simulation but the cruelest of realities?"

Fūgetsu nodded. "When he became a general, he pushed for the removal of simultations from the military academy. Said it gave prospective leaders an unrealistic view of tactics. After all, it's easy to sacrifice lives when it's a simulation."

"Even if good tacticians must take the lives of our men seriously," Suiken said, "good men and women also take the lives of innocents into consideration. And good soldiers of Menou do everything we can to try and save as many as possible."

"Besides," Suiken continued with a smile, "the more I save, the more I get to hear the words 'thank you.'"

Fūgetsu gave a deadpan expression. "You really are a piece of work, you know that." She muttered. "Listen, it's not that I want to sacrifice otherworlders to save our soldiers. It's just that our soldiers are people too, just like the otherworlders. They also have lives, and families too. I just want our sacrifices to be worth it, and Tsuchimaru does too."

Suiken nodded. "That's how we all feel. And even if it is a bit optimistic, our universe post-Rakuen will be worth the sacrifice. That's what I believe."

"You always were the most optimistic of us." Fūgetsu noted. "In fact, you have an optimism to match the king's."

Suiken nodded again. "You shouldn't feel so indebted to His Majesty that you fall 100% in line with his optimism for a better future." Fūgetsu told Suiken. "You're your own person, Suiken. And besides, His Majesty wants a healthy amount of skepticism from all of us."

"Perhaps, but His Majesty gave me a new life. I don't do this out of a sense of obligation. I do this because his optimism and beliefs are what put me in the position I am in today. So, I choose to believe in his vision for the future." Suiken said in a firm tone.

Fūgetsu could not argue with that logic. Almost every high ranking soldier in Menou had a personal connection to the king in some way. Her family had loyally served the kingdom for generations. Raika personally impressed Chitsujo with his merits before he was even discovered to be the successor for Raijin's power. Suiken…well, that story was complicated, and not something he liked to talk about. The same went for Tsuchimaru.

Then there were the many Golden, Silver and Bronze Gates, and even a Saint Warrior—Jun the Chastity—who had come up through Takara's House, the orphanage inside of the palace grounds. The fact is, their undying loyalty to their king did not come out of obligation, they had all personally found a man who was worth serving with every fiber of their being. He deserved to be called their king through his actions, not his bloodline.

If Chitsujo truly knew how much his people loved him, he might not push himself to be a king that surpassed his father. But until then, his greatest dream would remain as such. However, that dream needed to be put on hold for the time being, because the campaign to take back the Pirate World was about to begin…

 **A.N: And we are back into it. Just as a reminder, we won't be doing reactions anymore due to my increasingly busy schedule. And as a reminder, for the time being, I don't want people to be too upset if I can't post at a more consistent pace like I used to because of my schedule. Believe me, guys, I'm going to try my best, but I can't promise anything, I need to focus on my job hunt, which is going well so far.**

 **Also, I'll be posting stuff for the Multiverse Tournament and RWBY: Wild Hunt, because those are also two projects I really want to write. That actually reminds me, for all my RWBY fans out there, check out Wild Hunt. It's really great, I'm having a ton of fun writing it with Ryuzaki 007, it's been something I've looked forward to for years.**

 **I hope everyone enjoyed the first chapter of the One Piece Campaign. I'll see you next time!**


	2. Chapter 2: Sail Back to the Beginning

**A.N: This is exactly what I'm talking about, folks. Life has simply gotten in the way a ton recently. Thankfully, when you're trapped in a car for a total of 16 hours over the course of two days, you have plenty of time to work. So, here's chapter 2.**

 **Chapter 2: Sail Back to the Beginning**

Roronoa Zoro and Sanji both stared at their captain in disbelief as he related the story of how his ten-day sparring match with Naruto Uzumaki ended, with him challenging Chitsujo, the Lord of Order. They only had one thing to say about the matter. "You're an idiot." They said in unison.

Luffy laughed at Zoro and Sanji's statement. "Yeah, I guess I kinda bit off more than I can chew that time." He admitted. "But still, it was awesome to see how strong Chitsujo was."

Luffy held up a single finger. "He got me with one finger, you guys, one finger." He noted. "We definitely can't beat a guy like him."

"That means we can't beat someone like Konton yet." Sanji lit a cigarette and took a long drag. "That is troublesome, we thought we had done enough when we trained for the New World, only to realize that there's an even bigger challenge ahead of us."

Zoro could only nod. Luffy grinned. "That's okay," he said, "we'll just work harder, get stronger and then kick Konton's ass. After all, like Chitsujo said, limits are just a mind of state."

"I think the phrase you're looking for is 'state of mind,' Luffy." Sanji deadpanned, unable to comprehend his captain mixing up the placement of words.

"He's right though," Zoro noted, "those who become the greatest cannot accept they've gone as far as they can. If I'm going to be the Universe's Greatest Swordsman, if Luffy is going to become King of the Pirates, then we just have to keep working for it."

"Anyway," Sanji continued, "this place is going to be kept safe, right? After all the work you guys put into freeing it from that bastard, Doflamingo, I'd hate for Kaido and Big Mom to come after it."

"It'll be fine," Luffy assured his two strongest shipmates, "Chitsujo's got these really two strong guys and their armies defending Dressroba."

"It's Dressrosa," Sanji corrected instinctively, "but they better be able to defend the place. This is my darling Viola's home. I'd hate for it to be ruined."

"You know she's not the only person who lives here, right Romeo?" Zoro frowned.

"I know that, Moss Head!" Sanji yelled.

"Anyway, while we're on the subjects of beautiful ladies," Sanji continued before embracing Luffy, "thank you for bringing Flare onto this crew, Luffy! You're the best captain ever!"

"Flare is great, isn't she?" Luffy chuckled.

"She's definitely fitting in with the crew pretty well." Zoro noted. "Chopper seems to like her a lot, and the feeling is mutual."

Sanji grinned as he let go of Luffy. "Unlike Nami, who is purely sexy, and Robin, who has a mature beauty for her charm, Flare's charm comes from the fact that she is incredibly demure." He noted before exclaiming with hearts in his eyes. "We've got the trifecta of amazing ladies! Sexiness! Cuteness! And maturity! Praise be our captain! He's an idiot but he's somehow created the ultimate trifecta of beautiful women!"

Zoro sighed. "Nice going Luffy, you sent him further down the path of crazy, stupid love." He told his captain.

"Love may be crazy sometimes, but it is never stupid! You take that back you damn Moss Head!" Sanji yelled, ready to kick Zoro.

"Make me, you perverted cook!" Zoro shot back, drawing two of his swords.

"Aww, you guys look so happy." Flare Corona suddenly arrived two talk to some of her new favorite people in the world, some of her shipmates and her captain.

"I'm even happier now that you're here, Flare my sweet!" Sanji went full "Love Cook" mode.

Flare giggled, innocently brushing off Sanji's flirting. "I'm so glad so many of my new friends are in the 2nd Fleet with me." She said. "It's like Lord Chitsujo knew that I should socialize with my new crew and decided to do me a little favor."

"Well, I'm happy that he decided to pair you with the 2nd Fleet as well!" Sanji cheered. "It's like we were destined to be together!"

"Ease up, Romeo, don't make her feel uncomfortable." Zoro frowned at Sanji.

Flare smiled. "Well, if you mean destined to be friends and shipmates than I am all for it." She said gleefully.

And with that, Sanji deflated comically. "Friendzoned already…" he lamented, much to the amusement of Zoro.

"Luffy!" Luffy smiled at the familiar voice.

"Sabo!" Luffy was quick to embrace his adopted older brother, who returned the embrace with just as much affection.

"Nice to have you back from Green Bit." Sabo told him. "Lord Chitsujo wants to set sail soon. Especially now that we've officially placed everyone in different fleets. It's gonna be an adjustment, but we think it'll be good for the Alliance in the long run."

"Of course it will," Marco the Phoenix suddenly swooped down to join Sabo and the Straw Hats, "Lord Chitsujo may not be a sailor himself, but he does understand the implications of island-hopping mixed with warfare. We need soldiers from all divisions to maximize our success on each island."

Marco had a grim expression on his face. "This could very well be the campaign with the most casualties, considering the situation."

"It'll be fine," Luffy brushed off the situation, "as long as we all stick together and protect each other, we can keep our friends safe, right?"

"Luffy, we did that back in Fiore, and we still lost a lot of good people." Marco pointed out. "We can't protect everyone."

"But does that mean we shouldn't try?" Luffy asked Marco, looking at him in a mixture of confusion and hurt.

Marco's mouth dropped open, realizing he did not have a good way of answering that. Marco then gave a small smile. "No," he said, "no, we shouldn't."

Sabo grinned proudly. "My little brother is such an adorable, adorable optimist." He said, pulling Luffy into another embrace.

"Cut it out, you're embarrassing me!" Luffy demanded.

 _I didn't think Luffy got embarrassed._ Zoro and Sanji thought to themselves in unison.

"Geez, you all are as lively as always." Renji Abarai arrived. "I guess this is going to be a long cruise with the 2nd Fleet, huh?"

Renji then turned his attention to Flare and blushed. "Uh…hey, Flare," he said, unable to look her in the face.

Flare blushed as well. "Umm…hi, Renji," she was unable to look at him as well.

Sanji felt his heart shatter even more at the sight. His beloved Flare clearly had eyes for another man. Zoro looked at Renji and Flare in interest, knowing what those blushes entailed. _Interesting, so our new shipmate has a boy she's interested in._

Zoro then looked at the visibly depressed Sanji, who was oddly being comforted by Luffy. _Meh, it's no big deal, the fact that it seems to bug the cook to no end makes it more beneficial then harmful._ Came that surprisingly dark and sadistic thought from the Pirate Hunter.

As the Straw Hats and Renji continued their strange bonding rituals, a shy Hinata Hyūga watched them all from afar. _What is wrong with me?_ She thought. _I was sure I had kicked this habit. What happened?_

"Whatcha looking at?" Mashirō Kuna suddenly appeared behind Hinata, making the poor girl leap into the air.

"Oh…you're, Mashirō Kuna, right?" Hinata had met her a few times in Dressrosa. This multi-month break had allowed her the luxury to do so.

"Hi there, Hina!" Mashirō playfully greeted her. "So, whatcha looking at?"

"Sorry about that," Kensei Muguruma appeared at Mashirō's side, "I let her out of my sight for 1 second and she goes and bugs you. You will have to get used to her if you're going to be part of the same fleet though, Hyūga."

Hinata regained her composure. "I know that," she said. "Mashirō is just very energetic, I hold nothing against her for that."

Kensei sighed. "Laxus keeps saying the same thing, but I can tell Freed and Bickslow are one wacky comment away from trying to wring Mashirō's neck out of frustration."

Kensei could not help but grin. "Freaking dumb asses," he said, "I put up with Mashirō for a century and they can't even do it for a few months. They're never going to survive this trip with the 2nd Fleet."

"Hina!" Mashirō whined. "Stop making me repeat myself! What are you looking at? What are you looking at? WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?"

"Mashirō," Kensei said tiredly, "leave the poor girl alone. She clearly doesn't have time for your nonsense."

 _Even if what she does is a bit creepy, the poor girl does deserve some measure of privacy._ Kensei noted, having seen what Hinata was doing. _That being said, she should give Straw Hat some privacy as well, jeez. Well, maybe this will get her to stop._

 _I have to say though, I'm surprised she's looking at Straw Hat of all people like that._ He continued. _And here was me thinking nobles wouldn't even look at guys like him like that._

 _What is wrong with me?_ Hinata thought to herself. _I can't be developing feelings for Luffy! I love Naruto! Naruto Uzumaki! Please, heart, stop beating faster whenever you see him!_

Considering that Samui of the Hidden Cloud was also falling for Luffy, this could be troublesome.

Meanwhile, Kagura Mikazuchi took several practice swings with the newly reforged Archenemy. _The 2nd Fleet, with Roronoa and several members of his crew._ Kagura thought to herself. _Does Lord Chitsujo believe that my placement with him continues to push me further in strength? Roronoa is incredibly strong. Well, I suppose it at least makes more sense then for me to be placed in Jellal's fleet._

Even if Kagura had managed to let go of her grudge against Jellal, she still felt incredibly uncomfortable around the man. It would definitely take her awhile for her to grow comfortable enough to be in the same fleet as the man.

Meanwhile, Uryū Ishida pushed up his glasses as he finished his inspection of each ship in the 2nd Fleet. No, Uryū was not an expert on sailing and as such was no authority on inspecting ships. He just wanted to make sure there were enough perches for him to snipe from. His final ship had been the Thousand Sunny, the Straw Hat Pirates' ship. "Super ship, right Uryū?"

Uryū looked over his shoulder to see the Straw Hats' Shipwright, Cyborg Franky. Uryū looked out at the lion figurehead's sunflower mane and instinctively grimaced, making sure Franky did not see that. "Well, I have a couple of ideas on how to improve it aesthetically." Uryū said without thinking. "But yeah, it is a nice ship. A super ship in fact. I'm starting to see how Usopp and Nami managed to last all the way to the New World with a ship like this."

Franky laughed. "Yeah, those two get so flustered, it's a wonder they lasted as long as they did before all our training. So, what's got you so interested in all the ships?"

"I was just looking for sniping spots." Uryū admitted. "Regardless of the ship I end up stationed on, I'm not going to be much use to my comrades if I can't snipe effectively, as an archer."

"Mad respect, bro." Franky grinned. "I've got nothing but respect for men who take preparation seriously. It's the same with us shipwrights, everything's gotta be perfect, done with gusto, as my old mentor, Tom, used to say to me."

Uryū nodded. "If you end up stationed on the Sunny," Franky continued, "let me offer some advice. Usopp almost always snipes from the rear of the ship and the crow's nest."

"Those are pretty distant sniping positions," Uryū pointed out, "and you trust him that much not to hit you or the ship on accident?"

Franky laughed. "Brother," he said, "I get that it's hard to take Usopp seriously, but he's a damn good sniper. He's arguably one of the best in the entire Alliance. That guy makes shots you have to see to believe."

Uryū gazed at the rear of the Sunny, and then the crow's nest. "Challenge accepted." He said simply.

"SUPER!" Franky exclaimed. "I'm really hoping you get stationed on the Sunny now! This is gonna be off the hook, Brother!"

Franky offered his fist to Uryū for a fist bump, not knowing that Uryū was not the fist bump type. Uryū looked at the fist in confusion, then at Franky, who was gazing at him expectantly. Deciding to do a friend a favor, Uryū gave him a small smile and fist bumped the cyborg. "Yeah," he said before adding awkwardly, "it will be, ahem, off the hook."

Franky grinned. He knew Uryū was not the type who would normally get along with Franky's type. However, he appreciated the man's efforts, all the same.

Meanwhile, in Dressrosa, Riku Dold III, Princess Viola, and former Princess Rebecca and her father, Kyros, all had one last family meal together before Kyros and Rebecca sailed away with the 2nd Fleet. "Both of you," Riku spoke up, "come back safely."

Kyros and Rebecca both nodded. "Of course, Grandfather." Rebecca smiled. "We'll be fine. After all, Lucy is in the same fleet as us."

Lucy being Monkey D. Luffy and not Lucy Heartfilia; thank goodness those two were not in the same fleet, or things would just get confusing.

Speaking of which, let's take a look at some of the soldiers of the 3rd Fleet and see what they are up to, starting with the "other" Lucy of the Allied Forces. The blonde Celestial Wizard gazed at the familiar key in front of her, sitting on one of Dressrosa's many docks. She could still remember when Chitsujo came to her with this key…

 _"Is…that what I think it is, Lord Chitsujo?" Lucy had asked in shock._

 _Chitsujo smiled and nodded. "It is," he said, "someone's looking out for you, Lucy. They wanted you to have this key once again."_

 _Lucy looked at in disbelief before bringing it close to her chest. "Aquarius's key," she said, looking down at the key to the Gate of the Water Bearer, "I didn't think I'd see it again."_

 _Chitsujo shook his head. "Even if the key of a Celestial Spirit is broken, they eventually return into circulation and appear in Fiore at random. Your guardian angel came across it during her travels and delivered it to me."_

 _"And just who is my guardian angel, sir?" Lucy asked curiously._

 _Chitsujo smiled sheepishly. "Trust me, you wouldn't believe me if I told you." He said. "Just take the gift and be happy that you and Aquarius will be together again."_

 _Lucy then surprised Chitsujo by throwing her arms around him and pulling him into a deep, grateful embrace. "Thank you so much, Milord." She said. "I'm in your debt. And make sure you tell my 'guardian angel' thanks as well."_

 _Chitsujo smiled and patted Lucy on the back. "You're very welcome, Lucy. Never forget that we all were watching you that day. You showed incredible courage to make such a sacrifice for your friends. Never believe that the sacrifices you make for others aren't recognized and appreciated."_

Lucy heaved a sigh. After getting the key back, she suddenly found herself unable to summon Aquarius to create a new contract with her. It was mainly guilt. She still felt bad about what happened with Tartaros to this day.

 _Lord Chitsujo is wrong, I am a coward._ She thought. _Aquarius was the one who pushed me into doing it in the first place. But I can't bring myself to reform our contract._

Lucy took a deep breath. _I can't put this off any longer._ She thought. _We're about to go on a campaign across the seas. Having Aquarius would be a huge boon to the Alliance. No matter my guilt, no matter my shame, I am still a proud soldier of the Alliance. I will help my friends with all of my strength._

"HEY LUCY!" Natsu Dragneel and Happy both yelled in her ear as they greeted her.

The poor girl almost leapt off the docks in shock, shrieking in fear. "Whatcha looking at, Lucy?" Happy asked

"YOU JERKS!" Lucy screamed with a demonic look on her face. "DON'T SNEAK UP ON ME LIKE THAT!"

Natsu and Happy just laughed in amusement, not caring that they probably took a decade off Lucy's life with that scare. Natsu then recognized the key. "Hey, is that Aquarius's key?" He asked.

Lucy gasped. Natsu of all people recognized the key? Natsu smiled widely. "Nice! You got it back! I was worried you weren't going to, after I heard what happened."

Lucy could not help but smile. Natsu may have been an idiot, but he definitely cared, and he knew how to show it. _Why am I hesitating? About anything for that matter?_ Lucy wondered. _My friends are right behind me, always._

Lucy then leaned down and placed the key into the water. After reciting the chant to call a spirit to form a contact, she called out. "Open, Gate of the Water Bearer!" Lucy exclaimed. "Aquarius!"

The water moved about as a blue-haired mermaid appeared in front of Lucy. "FISH!" Happy exclaimed with glee.

Aquarius looked at the person who summoned her, and immediately adopted an impassive look on her face. Lucy almost teared up at the sight of the spirit. "Umm…hey, Aquarius," she said, "I…got your key again."

Aquarius heaved a sigh. "Gimme a break," she said, "I've got you as my master again?"

Natsu narrowed his eyes. He almost instinctively spoke up in defense of his dear friend, only to catch onto something in the tone of Aquarius's voice. With that, he fell silent. Lucy, meanwhile, looked down in shame.

"You're loudmouthed and annoying," Aquarius noted, "you whine about everything. You're still just the wide-eyed, happy-go-lucky brat I used to play with. And most importantly, you're never going to get a boyfriend, and even if by some miracle you do, he will never be as great as my Scorpio."

Lucy remained silent, unable to look at Aquarius. She then gasped in surprise as she felt Aquarius throw her arms around her, pulling her into an embrace. "And there is no one I'd rather have as my master." She said, smiling warmly, clearly trying to stop herself from crying tears of joy at their reunion.

Lucy got over her surprise and hugged Aquarius back. "I'm so happy to see you again." She said.

Aquarius sighed. "You idiot," she said, "what were you thinking, forming a contract with me in the middle of a war, huh?"

"I'm sorry," Lucy said, "we're kinda going on a naval campaign. We need you."

"Damn right you do." Aquarius said as she broke the embrace. "Lucy, call me whenever you need me. Just remember to give me some time off whenever Scorpio and I are on a date."

Lucy nodded. "Yeah," she said as Aquarius started to fade back into the Celestial Spirit World, "don't worry, I'll give you guys plenty of time to go on your dates. I'll…try to be a better master this time, Aquarius. I promise."

Aquarius chuckled. "Just for the record, Lucy, you weren't that bad. Just try to work on that attitude."

Lucy shook her head as Aquarius faded away completely. "She never changes." Lucy muttered. "I'm so happy she's back."

Natsu and Happy could only smile at Lucy's big victory. She got her dear friend and spirit back with her. Natsu could not help but let out a celebratory cheer. "Alright! Now the whole guild is back together!"

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked.

"Well, Aquarius was part of the guild too, right? If she wasn't around, then it wouldn't be the same without her."

Lucy could only smile at Natsu's statement. "Yeah, you're right." She said. "The guild is together again."

Meanwhile, Might Guy took the opportunity to confront his longtime rival and friend. "Kakashi!" He yelled to the leader of the 3rd Fleet. "My rival! It appears we've finally had the chance to catch up! Face me, Kakashi, let's settle things!"

Kakashi, who barely looked up from his book, addressed Guy. "Huh? Did you say something, Guy?" He inquired.

Guy flipped out at the sight. "Gah!" He yelled. "You are as hip as always, my rival!"

Kakashi held his hand out. "Guy," he said, "we can't afford to hurt ourselves too much, because we're about to set sail, so why don't we settle things with rock-paper-scissors?"

"I accept, Kakashi!" Guy exclaimed, as dramatic as always. "The loser must take a lap around Dressrosa!"

"Yeah, yeah, sure," Kakashi said dismissively, barely looking up, "you ready?"

"Always!" Guy declared.

"One, two, three, shoot!" Kakashi and Guy both yelled in unison, making their decision on what to play.

Guy yelled in frustration as his scissors were crushed by Kakashi's rock. "You win this round, my amazing, hip rival. Very well! I will be back in an hour!"

"Guy-Sensei!" Rock Lee, having watched this whole display on the sidelines. "Allow me to join you on your run!"

"Of course Lee!" Guy declared. "It has certainly been awhile since we've undergone these exercises! Come and join me, Lee! Join me on this youthful endeavor!"

"Let's do this lap on our hands instead, Guy-Sensei!" Lee suggested.

"Not this time, my boy." Guy told him. "We are setting sail soon, so we can't afford to be caught up in our youthful exercises. Because it is just as youthful to be punctual and on-time."

"Yes, you are absolutely right as always, Guy-Sensei!" Lee exclaimed.

With that, the two began running their lap around Dressrosa. Jūshirō Ukitake suddenly appeared next to Kakashi. "And I thought having Shunsui as a best friend was exhausting." Ukitake noted. "He is…something else."

"You have no idea." Kakashi said, sounding exasperated. "But, he's a nice guy once you get to know him…and get used to his quirks."

"Do you realize I'm still not used to Shunsui's behavior and I've known him for about a millennium and I'm still not used to his alcoholism? His womanizing? Literally everything about him? But, he's my best friend, and even if I don't like the way he acts, I love him like a brother."

"Yeah, it's the same with Guy." Kakashi admitted. "At least these activities keep him energized and focused on the task ahead…oddly enough."

"You don't say," Ukitake muttered, "well, you've definitely known him longer than I have, Kakashi, so I'll defer to you on how to deal with him."

"But, do you really think he'll be back in time to set sail?"

"Are you kidding? He's not doing it on his hands." Kakashi replied with a smirk behind his mask. "Knowing Guy, he'll be back with an hour to spare."

Meanwhile, Mirajane Strauss took the opportunity to embrace her two beloved siblings, who would be joining her in the 3rd Fleet. "I want you both to stay safe." Mirajane told them.

"We know, Sis." Lisanna Strauss replied.

"Seriously," Mirajane told them, "I'm going to be able to protect you both, since we're all in the same fleet, but you two have grown strong too. So, try to keep yourselves safe as well. That way, we can all go home together."

"We will, Sis, that's a man's promise." Elfman grinned.

Finally, Ichiya Vandalay Kotobuki took some time to talk with Eve Tilm, who had been avoiding him since coming to Dressrosa. "Are you nervous, Eve?" He inquired.

"Perhaps…just a little." Eve admitted, finally taking some time to open up to his mentor.

Ichiya sighed. "You're worried." He noted. "Worried that I'm going to die just like Ren did in the Aster Mountains."

"I don't want to, Master." Eve said. "But, this war has been an eye-opener for all of us. We're guild wizards, not soldiers, and certainly not killers. We were not prepared for this. And we lost Ren as a result."

Ichiya sighed. "I understand, my boy." He said. "And that's why, I promise you, I'm not going to die."

"You can't promise that, Master, none of us can." Eve said in a depressed tone.

"That is where you're wrong, Eve." Ichiya told him. "People die all the time, that is true. However, if their memory is kept in your heart, they live on within you forever and ever. Even now, Ren still lives. He simply lives within us, Hibiki and Sherry."

"Know this, Eve," Ichiya continued, "even if I were to fall at the hands of an enemy I would still live on as long as you kept me in your heart. And vice versa; even if you died, I would keep you alive in my heart as well. That is how people live forever. That is how people shine forever, even after their flames go out."

Eve could not help but gape at his master's wisdom. At that moment, he wondered why he even avoided Ichiya these past few months. The man, while goofy—and yes, he recognized that, having a military background as an ex Rune Knight gave him the ability to know who was goofy and who was prim and proper—was still very wise. That wisdom that surpassed even a Rune Knight Captain was what drew Eve to him.

"Thank you for the lesson, Master." Eve bowed in respect. "It appears I had lost sight of that in these past few months."

"War is a cruel business, Eve, but that doesn't mean we lose sight of universal truths like that." Ichiya told him. "Understanding those universal truths and morals is what separates men from monsters."

"Of course," Eve said, "but all the same master, I like having you and the others here with me, alive in the flesh."

"So I'm going to do all I can to keep you, and everyone else safe."

Ichiya smiled in approval at Eve's resolve. "And I promise to do the same for your sake, my boy." Ichiya promised. "We are not just master and student, we're guild mates. And most importantly, we are family."

Eve nodded in appreciation. "Thank you, Master Ichiya." He said gratefully. "Thank you for the lesson."

Meanwhile, Naruto Uzumaki was still nursing a nasty bump on his head, courtesy of Chitsujo. "Stop being stubborn and heal me, Kurama." Naruto complained.

 **"Naruto, we've been over this, I don't heal dumb injuries, as do the rest of the Tailed Beasts."** Kurama firmly told him. **"What happened between you, Luffy, and that Chitsujo was your own damn fault."**

Naruto pouted. "You are mean, Kurama." He said.

Luckily, Naruto had some comfort in the form of Erza Scarlet, who had arrived with Jellal Fernandes. Both of them had sympathetic looks on their face. "Are you okay, Naruto?" Jellal inquired curiously.

"I'm doing better." Naruto said, holding an ice pack on his head. "Kurama's being a bit stubborn and is refusing to heal me."

Jellal gave Naruto a deadpan expression. "I know you're not going to like hearing this, but I kinda agree with Kurama."

"Huh?" Naruto looked at Jellal like had just betrayed him in the worst way possible. "You are mean, Jellal."

"I'm also right." Jellal told him. "You're the one who let yourself get pulled into a fight with Luffy for one of the dumbest reasons possible. And then, you didn't even notice Lord Chitsujo arrive, forcing him to step in and stop you. Your injuries were because of your own stupidity, so I don't blame Kurama for not healing you this time."

Erza, surprisingly, had a more sympathetic side to her. "Even so, Jellal, Naruto can't be dealing with such an injury before we set sail. It could become a detriment to the 5th Fleet." She pointed out to Jellal.

Jellal sighed. "That's true as well," he admitted, "alright, I'll go get a doctor to perform some treatment on his head."

"Nonsense," Erza suddenly said, surprising both Naruto and Jellal, "we shouldn't trouble the doctors, I will treat Naruto."

Jellal gave Erza a deadpan expression. "Erza, you are not a doctor." He said. "You're not even a nurse."

"Nonsense, you do not need medical training in order to heal an injury this simple." Erza sounded delusional. "All you need is a can-do spirit!"

"Erza, were it that easy, everyone would become doctors." Jellal told her, unable to understand her logic.

Before Jellal could say anything to dissuade Erza, she suddenly re-quipped out of her normal outfit into the nurse's outfit she used on Tenrou Island. Naruto blushed slightly, it looked like something out of Jiraiya's despicably perverted books.

Erza then took out some bandages. "Now then, boy," she said, "let us begin with your examination. I promise to be very _thorough._ "

Jellal blushed as well. "Err…Erza."

Erza ignored Jellal and began to advance on Naruto. "Just relax and let my hands take care of everything. As a professional, my hands are…magic."

Naruto turned even redder at Erza's words. "Do you…not hear yourself right now?" He inquired. "Everything you say sounds-"

Naruto was suddenly cut off by Erza pouncing on him like a lioness. She was wrapping bandages around his head, _missing_ the spot where he was punched in the first place mind you. "Owowowowowow! Too tight! Too tight! Too tight!" Naruto complained.

"Please don't struggle so much," Erza said, "you're only making this harder."

Jellal was now beet red. _Yep, she definitely doesn't realize how…dirty she sounds when she talks like that._

"Yo ho ho ho ho!" 'Soul King' Brook suddenly appeared, laughing like a maniac. "Nurse Erza, could you examine me next? I feel like I'm about to die!"

"WHERE DID YOU EVEN COME FROM?" Jellal surprisingly face-faulted at Brook's entrance.

"Oh, wait a minute," Brook suddenly gasped, "I don't feel like I'm going to die! I'm already dead! Yo ho ho ho ho! It's a skull joke!"

Erza paused in her treatment to gaze at Brook in disbelief of how bad his joke actually was. Jellal and Naruto were doing the same. "Anyway," Brook said, changing the subject quickly, "I just wanted to take this opportunity to say hello to my new commanding officer. I look forward to working with you, Commander Fernandes."

Jellal shook his head out of his stupor and nodded. "Umm, yeah," he said, "thank you for the greeting, Brook, I look forward to working with you as well."

"I hope you don't mind, but as a musician, it is important to me that I constantly play and perform, and perfect my craft." Brook told Jellal. "Perhaps I can play for the soldiers when we're all sailing, like I did for the 1st Division back in Fiore. I promise you, my music will keep everyone happy and ready for battle."

Jellal smiled at the kind offer. "That's very generous of you, Brook," Jellal nodded, "a little music would go a long way to keeping everyone's morale up."

Erza glared at Brook, surprising the skeleton. "This bloodlust is so…" Brook trailed off, shivering in fear.

"Are you challenging me, skeleton man?" Erza demanded.

"Challenging you?" Brook went pale from Erza's threatening nature.

"Do you think me incapable of keeping the morale of the troops raised through the act of song?" Erza demanded.

"Umm…no," Brook said, "if you can rouse our morale through singing, then by all means, give it a try. It would be nice to have some female vocals. It would add to the performance."

At that moment, Erza immediately began her vocal exercises. Brook's mouth dropped open in disbelief. She sounded…fine. Hopefully she never actually got on stage though. Naruto, meanwhile, subtly moved Erza's poorly tied bandages to the bump on his head. _I'll just let her live with the illusion that she actually helped me._ He decided.

Eustass Kidd could only look on in shock at the behavior of his fellow fleet mates. _These are the people I'm sailing with._ Kidd thought to himself. _These are the people I'm sailing with. My sanity might not survive this trip._

"Captain, are you alright?" Kidd's first mate, Killer, sounded surprisingly concerned for his captain. "You don't look good. You look sick in fact."

"Killer, I'm going to be completely honest with you." Kidd said in a calm tone. "I am not okay _at all_."

"…I see." Killer said. "Is there anything I can do?"

"The only thing I can think of is something that would get us in serious trouble, so no, there is nothing you can do for me." Kidd said in a surprisingly calm tone. "Yeah, there's nothing you can do to help me. And honestly, I'd actually _feel bad_ if we did do anything to any of them. Isn't that weird?"

"A bit," Killer shrugged, "I guess that means the big bad pirates are actually learning a bit of empathy."

"I know, right," Kidd shuddered, "it's so weird. Kinda gross too. How the hell should we respond to this?"

"We could just go with it." Killer said. "I mean, hanging out with these guys might be a bit annoying, but you know, it's actually not that bad. Maybe there is something to be said about this whole…bonding thing."

Killer and Kidd both looked at each other. "Nah," they said in unison.

Meanwhile, at a nearby beach, Lyon Vastia walked away from a frozen part of the water, courtesy of him practicing his Maker Magic. "A few more practice rounds never hurt anyone." He noted. "Especially now; it's only going to get harder from here."

Lyon found himself thinking about Gray Fullbuster, his fellow student of the great wizard, Ur. _Gray's been distancing himself more and more from people ever since Tenrou Island._ He noted. _I still can't say I know all the details of what happened…but it must be bothering him immensely if it's even distancing him from his fellow guild mates._

Lyon sighed. _I wish I was better with dealing with people. I'd be able to help him through what's bothering him so much. We studied under the same master, so we're virtually brothers. I owe it to him to try and find out what's bothering him so I can help him._

Something then hit Lyon. _The same master…the only time Gray's ever looked so bothered by something was when Deliora was involved. Gray…why are you still thinking about Deliora? What is going on with you?_

"Hey jerk!" Lyon was suddenly cut from his thoughts by angry beachgoers.

"Umm, excuse me?" Lyon looked at the beachgoers in confusion.

The angry civilians all gestured to the frozen spot on the beach in unison. "You gonna apologize for turning our beach into a cold bath or not?"

Lyon face-faulted. _I only froze a small portion of it._

"Well, come on, ice man!" A particularly buff and angry Dressrosan citizen yelled. "Are you going to fix this or not!"

Lyon looked at the icy spot—courtesy of his training—and then at the angry mob of tanned, barely dressed, beachgoers. _I…honestly did not realize people took their beaches seriously._ Lyon noted, being someone who was not normally fond of the beach.

"Umm…sorry?" Lyon said carefully, trying to calm everyone down.

He did not, and Lyon would eventually have to carefully back away and leave, praying that the ice would melt soon. It was summer, so it should not take too long to melt, right? Right?

Meanwhile, Don Sai gazed at the ring that would have been placed on Baby 5's finger at the wedding ceremony that never happened thanks to the war. _I really would've married you, baby._ He thought to himself. _I…I would've made you happy._

"Bro? Are you okay?" Boo asked, concerned for his older brother. "You're…staring at the ring again."

Sai chuckled humorlessly. "The leader of the Happo Fleet shouldn't be letting stuff like this get the better of him, and hear I am."

"Well, the Happo Fleet's head is still human, Bro." Boo pointed out in a surprisingly wise tone. "And besides, I totally wanted to welcome her into the family as much as you did."

"I know you did, Boo." Sai said. "We're going to get her back. Rakuen is going to pay for making an enemy out of the Happo Navy."

Boo heaved a sigh, changing the subject. "You know, this is going to officially make us enemies of the World Government, right?" He inquired. "After all, now that we're here, this is basically a declaration of war on the World Government."

"And I say, so what?" Sai inquired. "We've all seen it for years now. They just keep getting worse and worse the more influence they get. For the longest time, Dragon and the Revolutionaries were the only guys who had the balls to try to fight them."

"You can't blame people for being scared, Sai." Darui of the Storm Style arrived, having overheard the conversation.

"I don't, Darui." Sai promised. "I get it, fighting Doflamingo was a tall order, and that guy is a wuss compared to the monsters that run the Navy. Sakazuki, Kizaru, Fujitora, Ryokugyu, those guys all make Doflamingo look like a ten year old waving his arms around like windmills. So yeah, I get why people are scared."

Darui looked around Dressrosa for a moment. "I'm not well-versed in this world." He stated the obvious. "But, there is a tension in the air. People are excited to see the Alliance, but they're also scared, scared of the World Government."

Darui shook his head. "And they're not scared because their king has allied them with the Alliance and put them at risk. No, it's not that at all. In fact, they're proud to be allied with us." He paused before continuing. "They're scared because they know their government is pure evil. They're scared because they know that even if they hadn't allied with us, if they stepped out of line even the slightest, they'd have been punished severely."

Darui narrowed his eyes. "That is just wrong," he said, "innocent civilians should not have a reason to be scared of their own government. And yet they're scared because they know what the World Government does to anyone who doesn't march in total harmony with them."

"Look, the Cloud has done things that I'm not particularly fond of." Darui admitted. "Hell, every Ninja Village has. But we always did it to other people, people we didn't know. But never to our own, especially when they did nothing wrong. Government's shouldn't make their people live in fear of _disappointing_ them like they're some sort of god."

Darui sighed. "This world is just messed up, its government is rotten to the core. I'm not normally some 'warrior of justice' looking out for the little guy, but I say we change things anyway, since we've got the chance to do it."

Darui grinned. "And you know what? I'd say this is the best bunch of guys to do it, we're going to take down the World Government. We're going to beat Blackbeard, Madara, and Yhwach, just like we did with Zeref. And after all that's done, we're going to take down Rakuen and win this war. Does it sound more simple than it really does? Hell yeah, but after everything we've been through, I have to admit, I've begun buying into the whole 'rah rah, we can do anything as long as we work together' stuff."

Sai and Boo grinned. "Hell yeah," Sai said, "you know how to fire people up, Darui."

Darui laughed. "Do I?" He inquired. "Geez, don't let the boss hear you say that. He's going to push for me to become the 5th Raikage."

"Don't knock the leadership position until you try it, Darui." Sai told him. "It's actually a lot of fun being the man in charge."

Meanwhile, Ichigo Kurosaki returned to the 1st Fleet and was greeted by his good friend, Chad. "Ichigo," the burly man said curtly.

Ichigo grinned and clapped Chad on the shoulder. "How you doing, Chad?" He asked.

Chad shrugged. "I'm fine, considering we're about to march off to fight again." He said. "Well, I guess 'sail' would be the more appropriate word in this case."

"Yeah, I've never been to sea. Dad used to talk about how his honeymoon with Mom involved a cruise. I never did find out how he managed to afford it. Although, I'm betting old Hat and Clogs paid for it."

Chad grunted. "I only got to look at the sea when mi abuelo sent me to live in Japan." He admitted. "I saw it looking outside the window of the plane."

"He sent you to live there?" Ichigo asked in surprise.

Chad sighed. "Abuelo was…getting old. I don't think he wanted me to watch him die."

Ichigo looked uncomfortable. "Sorry, man." He said. "I didn't mean to…"

Chad shook his head. "People die, Ichigo, we know this by now." He pointed out the obvious to his friend, who was a God of Death. "I'm reminded of how mortal we are every single day we fight now."

Ichigo looked saddened at this. "Chad, I'm sorry you had to get involved in this. If it were up to me, I would've rather left you, Uryū and Orihime in the World of the Living. Karakura needs someone to keep it safe while I was gone."

"And that would've meant leaving you to do this on your own." Chad pointed out to him. "And I think you know none of us would've agreed to that."

Chad gave Ichigo a small smile. "Remember, we both promised to use our fists to fight for each other's sake. You believe in putting your own life on the line for these other worlds, and everyone else. So I'm going to do the same. I'm with you, Ichigo, until the very end."

Ichigo smiled back. "You know," he said, "I'm not normally one for sentimentality, but Chad…I don't think you'll ever know how much it's always meant to me that you've had my back."

Ichigo patted Chad on the back. "It's like having a big tough bodyguard." He joked.

Chad nodded. "If I'm the bodyguard, then you're one tough mob boss." He noted.

"So," Ichigo said, "any word on where our fleet's stopping first?"

Chad shrugged. "I'd talk to our fleet navigator if you want to learn about that." He suggested.

Ichigo looked to see a long, flowing mane of orange hair reaching the back of a girl. "Check it out," Chad continued, "orange hair, you two could be long-lost twins, Ichigo."

"Hardy har har," Ichigo laughed sarcastically, "Real freaking funny, Chad."

Curious about their first destination, Ichigo strode up to the girl with orange hair. He took notice of her tangerine-tattoo on her arm. _That's an odd choice._ He noted.

"Excuse me," he said, "my friend Chad told me you're our navigator?"

"One of them, I'm also a soldier." The woman turned around. "The name's Nami, and not to brag, but I'm definitely the best navigator. The 1st Fleet is lucky to have me."

Ichigo would have responded to that, if he had not been caught off guard by a certain fact: Nami apparently did not believe in wearing a shirt. Her hair had concealed enough that he had believed he was just wearing a top that showed off her midriff. What he did not expect was a blue and gold bikini that was concealing a very well developed chest.

Also, as soon as Nami turned around, Ichigo was treated to a _bounce_ that would have been a delightful sight to anyone else. Ichigo, however, was different. The prudish Soul Reaper blushed hotly, caught off guard by Nami's outfit.

Nami noticed this and gazed at him in concern. "What's wrong, are you sick?" She asked. "I know a great doctor, you know."

She was so used to dressing like this around her crew, she did not see what was wrong with this situation. "Could you please put a shirt on?" Ichigo shyly asked.

Nami could only look at Ichigo in disbelief…

Juvia Loxar, meanwhile, was in a mood of her own. When she had heard the divisions would be rejiggered into well-balanced fleets, she had hoped this would be her chance to fight by her beloved Gray's side. Unfortunately, fate had other plans for Juvia and she was placed in the 1st Fleet, while Gray was placed in the 4th.

"What's up, Juvia?" Meldy asked her former enemy turned friend, also currently a part of the 1st Fleet.

"Does Lord Chitsujo not believe in love, Meldy?" Juvia wondered out loud.

Meldy was taken aback by Juvia's question. "Juvia…I'm sure he does. I mean, he loves his kingdom. He loves his subjects. He loves his comrades. If anything, I'm sure the only thing he doesn't love is all this fighting."

"Then why has he separated me from my darling Gray?" Juvia wondered.

Meldy paused. "I can't answer that for certain." She said. "Maybe…he didn't want you two getting all lovey-dovey and distracting yourselves from the fight? I mean, you've gotta think strategically, right?"

 _I think I'll avoid telling Juvia that Ul is in the 1st Fleet with me. Lord Chitsujo wanted her to be in the same fleet with someone she's familiar with, and it certainly wasn't going to be Jellal. They would just argue all the time._ Meldy thought. _He was right to do that. I just need my daily Mama Ul hug and I'll be fine. We're not a distraction either. Not like Gray and Juvia making out would be._

Meldy loved her adopted mother dearly, and apparently had the same delusions of Gray and Juvia's relationship that Juvia did.

Meanwhile, Gajeel Redfox shivered, having finished a training session with Tōshirō Hitsugaya. "Are you finished, Gajeel?" Hitsugaya inquired.

"No, not yet." Gajeel shivered. "I can keep going."

"You'll make yourself sick, or worse, if you keep this up." Hitsugaya pointed out.

"Yeah, and it's all making me stronger." Gajeel reminded the diminutive captain. "Now keep going. You're going to toughen me up with your ice until the stress forces me to enter Dragon Force at will. That was our agreement, and there is no way in hell you're going to back out now!"

Hitsugaya nodded. He could not refuse a man with such resolve. "Alright, we'll keep going." Besides, he felt a kinship with Gajeel. His Zanpakutō spirit was an ice dragon, after all.

Levy McGarden heaved an irritated sigh. "Once again, Gajeel just does not know when to stop and rest. He's not going to do himself any favors if he keeps this up."

Rangiku Matsumoto laughed. "So why do you let him keep this up, hmm?"

Levy sighed. "Because the results he's aiming for are important to him." Levy replied. "And if he does actually hurt himself, I get to tell him how much of an idiot he was as much as I want. It's a win-win situation."

Rangiku looked at Levy, surprised by her answer at first, before she squealed, making Levy leap into the air. Before the diminutive girl could react, Rangiku embraced Levy into her incredible chest, which when you actually stop to compare, are pretty much as tall as a third of Levy's body. How Rangiku does not have back problems, we will never know.

"You are so cute!" Rangiku squealed. "You fret over Gajeel like you two are already married!"

Levy ignored Rangiku's embarrassing statements, and focused on the two massive breasts she had been squished into; as a result, her insecurities sprung forth. _H-huge,_ she could only think.

Meanwhile, with the 4th Fleet, Wendy Marvell excitedly ran towards her commanding officer with a basket filled with cookies. Her Exceed and best friend, Carla, followed close behind. "Commander! Commander!" Wendy called out to Byakuya Kuchiki, 4th Fleet commander.

Byakuya looked to the side, away from his meeting with his proxy and chief strategist, Shikamaru Nara and instinctively let a small, almost invisible, smile curl at the sight of the perpetually happy and sweet Dragon Slayer. "Hello, Wendy," Byakuya greeted the girl, "and what brings you here?"

"Carla and I made cookies for the 4th Fleet."

"We specifically had help from many of Dressrosa's bakeries, and that Sanji fellow." Carla added.

"And I made a special batch for you, Commander." Wendy told the man, placing the basket between him and Shikamaru. "See? I remember how much you like that Seaweed Ambassador character, so I asked them to make the cookies in his shape."

Shikamaru looked at the cookies in disbelief. _No freaking way, the commander likes that kind of thing? Learn something new every day._

Byakuya nodded, gazing at the cookies. "Thank you, Wendy, that was very kind of you."

Wendy giggled. "It was no trouble, Commander. Seeing everyone smile at the sight of these cookies made it all worth it. And the people at all the bakeries were more than happy to make some for Alliance soldiers."

"I'll see you on the ship, Commander; same to you, Shikamaru." Wendy addressed the proxy.

Shikamaru smiled. "Thanks, I'll see you there too, Wendy." Shikamaru said to her.

Wendy excitedly ran off with Carla in tow. Shikamaru then turned to Byakuya, only to see the man had already begun to dig into the cookies Wendy had brought him. "You can have some too, Shikamaru, I couldn't possibly eat them all." Byakuya offered.

Shikamaru looked at the cookies and shrugged. "Ah, what the hell," he muttered, taking a cookie and then munching on Seaweed Ambassador's head. "Whoa, these _are_ good."

"I'm not…interrupting anything, am I?" Byakuya and Shikamaru turned to see a face familiar to Shikamaru. He instinctively glared at him.

"Sasuke," Shikamaru said, managing to disguise the hostility he wanted to voice. Even if Sasuke Uchiha had changed for the better, Shikamaru sometimes still found it hard to forgive him for all the pain he put Naruto through.

Next to Chōji and Ino, Naruto was Shikamaru's best friend. Normally, someone who did _half_ the things Sasuke did to one of Shikamaru's best friends would get him permanently placed on his short "hate-list." But, Naruto insisted Sasuke had changed for the better, and Sasuke had gotten nothing but good reports from Kakashi. So, Shikamaru would believe in him for now.

"You wanted to see me, Commander?" Sasuke inquired.

Byakuya nodded. He then turned to Shikamaru. "My apologies, Shikamaru, when I found out Sasuke had been placed in our fleet I wanted to meet him personally as soon as I could to get an understanding of one of the Alliance's more…infamous troops."

Shikamaru nodded in understanding. Byakuya then turned his attention to Sasuke. "Forgive me for my bluntness, Sasuke Uchiha," he said, "but in spite of Kakashi's positive reports regarding you, those mean nothing to me. You have given me no personal reasons to trust you."

Sasuke nodded in understanding. "You have a very infamous reputation. The man who betrayed everyone who cared for him for power. The man who took an extended hand from Naruto Uzumaki and spat in it multiple times."

Sasuke nodded again. "Now tell me, Sasuke Uchiha," Byakuya said, "I demand a lot from my troops. One thing I demand from them is that they give me reason to trust them and not question Lord Chitsujo's wisdom of placing them under my command."

"So give me one good reason I should trust you."

Sasuke shook his head. "I can't, sir." He said. "You're right. I did all of those things my reputation stated, and even if Naruto himself has forgiven me, the universe itself can't be expected to forgive me."

"I see," Byakuya said.

"So…rather than try to give you a reason right now, I would like to ask for the chance to fight alongside you and your men so that I may show you my trustworthiness, and give you a reason then." Sasuke explained. "Actions speak louder than words, after all. So let my actions show you that I can be trusted."

"A good argument," Byakuya noted.

"Sir," Sasuke continued, "technically, I am the Last Uchiha. The last of a clan that has lost its honor because of its own greed, avarice, and hatred. It's up to me to restore that honor. I can assure you, I take that honor seriously, and I am well aware that the only way to do so is to conduct myself like a Leaf Ninja, as well as a soldier in the Allied Forces."

"Let me show you how much my honor means to me."

Byakuya looked at Shikamaru. He could tell the man was trying his best not to say anything to and about Sasuke. He then looked back at Sasuke. "You do indeed make a compelling argument, Sasuke Uchiha." Byakuya complimented.

"Very well, show me how much your clan's honor means to you." Byakuya told him. "Show me that you can be trusted."

Sasuke nodded. "Thank you sir," he said gratefully, "I assure you, there will be no trouble from me."

"Dismissed, Sasuke." Byakuya said to the young man.

Sasuke bowed to Byakuya, gave Shikamaru a curt nod, and then walked away. When Sasuke was out of earshot, Byakuya addressed his proxy. "I hope there will be no issues from you either, Shikamaru." Byakuya said to him. "Even if you have every reason to despise the man, I will not have you hurting the fleet with your grudge."

Shikamaru shook his head. "Don't worry, Commander." He said. "I'm a professional, you know that."

Shikamaru sighed. "I really wish it was easy to hate the guy though. He is definitely sincere about reforming. And I know it's immature and petty, but I sometimes wish he wasn't. After everything he's done, it'd be a lot easier to just hate the guy and not give him a chance."

Byakuya sighed. "Believe me, I know exactly how you feel." He tiredly admitted. "There is someone I wish I could hate, but I can't, no matter how hard I try. The damn peasant…"

Byakuya trailed off for a moment. "Now then," He got back to their conversation before all of their interruptions, "why don't we return to discussing strategy?"

"Yes, sir." Shikamaru said obediently.

Meanwhile, Gray Fullbuster walked the harbors of Dressrosa alone. He heard the sound of a woman crying and turned, recognizing it to be Boa Hancock, being consoled by her two sisters. She was a part of his fleet, right? Yeah, she was also part of the 4th Fleet. What was she crying about?

"Why can't I travel with Luffy for once?!" Hancock wailed like a spoiled child.

Gray sweat-dropped. "Not getting involved in that." He muttered as he continued his walk.

Gray then gazed at his arm. Still no tattoo to show his power of Devil Slayer Magic. _I just don't get it, what does he hope to accomplish by keeping this sealed away?_ Gray wondered.

 _Zeref may be gone, but E.N.D. is still out there. E.N.D…as long as E.N.D. still exists, Zeref's legacy remains. I have to eradicate that legacy. So that Mom and Dad can rest in peace. Lord Chitsujo knows that E.N.D. is an enemy. So why is he not giving us all of the advantages we can take?_

 _"Gray,"_ Chitsujo had recently said to him in Dressrosa, _"one day you will understand why I do this. Being the master of your power, and letting your power master you are two completely different things."_

 _I know that…right?_ Gray wondered.

At that moment, an announcement rang out all across Dressrosa. "All troops, please report to your assigned ships. All fleets will depart in two hours. I repeat, all troops, please report to your assigned ships. All fleets will depart in two hours."

Gray sighed. _Looks like I'm going to have to table these thoughts for another time._ He mused. _I have a job to do. I'll fight with my friends like I always have…but one day, I need to know the truth. I need to know why Lord Chitsujo worries about me so much. Lord Chitsujo, no more riddles. You better have the answers when I want them._

And so, two hours later, the entirety of the Fighting Divisions of the Allied Forces, now divided up and moved around into five new fleets with five different paths, were now on their assigned ships. Predictably, the Dragon Slayers were already having a very bad time.

But enough about them, they got on the ship after all. It was time for Monkey D. Dragon's second big speech of encouragement to the troops. Using a transponder snail hooked up to a loudspeaker, Dragon amplified his voice to the five fleets.

"Comrades," he said, "you did well in Fiore, and you had every right to spend the amount of time you did celebrating. That was a big win for all of us."

"However, now is not the time to become complacent, nor is it the time to relax. We still have other worlds to travel to, and take back from our foes, the Conquerors Coalition."

"And I'm going to level with every last one of you. This will undoubtably be more difficult than the last campaign."

"Many of us have never been to sea, or have any experience sailing." Dragon pointed out. "On that note, I hope those who do show patience and the ability to mentor anyone who has questions on the matter."

"But anyway," Dragon continued, "as a resident of this world, let me tell you, yes, this will be much more difficult than the last campaign. This world is vast, and filled with many great dangers. There will be danger around every corner in the form of either our enemies or sea kings, or even the hellish weather that has sent many brave sailors to a watery grave."

"However, to that I say, so what?" Dragon inquired, surprising everyone.

"We should not brush off danger. Only fools are never afraid. But let me ask you this: what is more frightening, the dangers of this world, or the inevitable future of us not continuing to act for the sake of our worlds?"

"The answer is obvious!" Dragon continued. "It takes a bigger fool not to recognize that the latter is far more frightening. And even if the former itself can seem scary, remember that you have allies you can rely on to make things less intimidating, that is what it means to be in an alliance in the first place!"

"So take heart, steel yourselves, and prepare to endure the trials ahead. Because comrades, the seas are rough and dangerous, but our shared goal is worth nothing if we aren't willing to brave all of that and fight for it!"

"So I ask you, comrades, all those who are ready to brave these dangers for the sake of peace, shout out your resolve to me!"

At that moment, cheers rang out from all of the ships. Dragon smirked. "Now that is music to my ears." He said. "Cast off, and best of luck."

With that, the many ships began to cast off from the docks. The campaign to take back the Pirate World had officially begun.

Meanwhile, at Dressrosa's palace, Chitsujo gazed out at the distant harbor, smiling in satisfaction. "It's begun," he noted.

"That Dragon is quite the orator." Riku Dold III mused to Chitsujo.

Chitsujo chuckled. "That he is. I feel like it's a requirement to be a revolutionary. Or perhaps he took lessons from a certain revolutionary commander?"

Chitsujo then gave Riku a serious gaze. "I'm sorry about this, Riku." He said. "Our alliance puts you in the World Government's crosshairs."

Riku shook his head. "I chose to ally my kingdom with you, Lord Chitsujo. I am a king who would rather die for peace than go to war, but even I can see when war is inevitable. I can also see…that I cannot entrust my country's future to Rakuen, and I certainly can no longer entrust it to the World Government either."

"Many of the kings whom have allied with you," Riku continued, "we have all been in discussion, and we have all come to the same conclusion: it is time for the World Government to end."

Riku then gave Chitsujo a small smile. "Besides, I could never forgive myself if I did not ally with the boy who saved my kingdom. I am forever in Monkey D. Luffy's debt. I know my people feel the same way. We will gladly risk everything to repay our hero. Otherwise, we are nothing more than worthless animals; the same way Doflamingo viewed us all."

Chitsujo nodded in satisfaction. "You are a good man, Riku." He said. "As are the other kings. I promise you, we will take this world back. When we do, you all will be allowed to live in peace, away from the World Government's influence."

Suddenly, a messenger barged into the room. "Lord Chitsujo, King Riku!" She yelled frantically.

"Calm yourself, child." Chitsujo said to her. "What is wrong?"

"The harbormaster to the west has allowed a ship to dock." The messenger said. "They arrived shortly after the other ships cast off."

Chitsujo narrowed his eyes. "The harbormaster allowed another ship to dock without permission?" He was suspicious of the matter.

"He didn't mean any harm, sir." The messenger said. "I was told he panicked as soon as he saw the colors being flown."

"What flag did this ship sail under?" Chitsujo demanded.

The messenger shuddered. "The Big Mom Pirates, sir," she said, "they are currently surrounded by General Suiken, General Fūgetsu and some of their troops. With all of the fanfare of the Fighting Divisions going off to sea, they must've taken advantage of the chaos. However, the two men who have stepped off the ship have not made any other moves. They said they are awaiting…you."

Chitsujo nodded. "I see," he said, "very well, inform Suiken and Fūgetsu to escort them here."

"Y-yes Milord," the messenger said, running off to contact the Defense Division.

"The Big Mom Pirates, here?" Riku was shocked. "I don't understand, why would they make a move now?"

Chitsujo sighed. "So, they've decided to make their move now?" He noted. "And I thought we had more time. My apologies, Riku, it appears the Big Mom Pirates are far more impatient than I realized."

"I do have an idea of why they are here though." Chitsujo continued. "A single ship, two men stepping off the boat. It appears they've sent an envoy. Thankfully, they don't seem to be planning an attack just yet."

Chitsujo then gave Riku a reassuring smile. "Everything's going to be alright." He promised. "As long as I am here, Linlin will not lay one finger on your country."

Riku nodded, immediately reassured by Chitsujo's statement.

Nearly an hour later, Fūgetsu and Suiken arrived in the throne room with two individuals. One was a lion-like man with sunglasses, the other an egg-shaped gentleman with a cane.

The two men stood at attention while Suiken and Fūgetsu both kneeled in respect to their king. Chitsujo then surprisingly glared at them both, showing his more "professional" side. "You two are envoys of Charlotte Linlin." He pointed out to them. "I believe it is custom for envoys to kneel in the presence of the royalty they are visiting."

Both men immediately knelt. The egg-shaped man spoke up first. "Bonjour, Lord Chitsujo, King of Menou, and bonjour to you as well, King Riku Dold III; I congratulate you on your reascension to the throne."

Riku nodded. "Allow me to introduce myself," the man continued, "Je suis Baron Tamago, Knight of the Big Mom Pirates."

Tamago then gestured to the lion man next to him. "And this is my partner, Pekoms."

Pekoms nodded respectfully to Chitsujo. "I know who you both are," Chitsujo said, "you both are well-trusted, seeing Linlin trusts you to collect candy payments from her protectorates."

"Oui, Your Majesty." Tamago nodded. "I apologize if we frightened anyone in Dressrosa. I assure you, we wouldn't have come to Dressrosa were it not important. After all, we came here to meet you, the King of Menou."

"Well, you've met me, now, do you intend to leave before you make anyone else nervous with your presence?" Chitsujo demanded.

"Not yet, I'm afraid, Your Majesty. You see, we come here bearing something that may interest you."

"Pekoms," Tamago addressed his partner, "take it out."

Pekoms nodded and removed an elegant piece of paper from his pocket. He then cleared his throat. "Lord Chitsujo, King of Menou," Pekoms read, "you, along with Kaido, King of Beasts, are cordially invited to a tea party hosted by Mama on June 4th."

Riku's eyes widened, understanding the implications of being invited to one of Big Mom's tea parties. Chitsujo narrowed his eyes. "Tamago, Pekoms," he said, "today is June 4th."

"Oh my," Tamago gasped, "you are right, Lord Chitsujo, it is."

"This is very short notice." Chitsujo frowned. "You do realize I'm a very busy man, right? I can't just go to a tea party when I have a war to conduct with my comrades."

"We understand you are a very busy man, Lord Chitsujo, but I believe you need to understand something, since you clearly don't understand how things work here." Tamago said. "Even the demons of Hell come to Mama's tea parties when they are invited."

"I am aware of the implications of being invited to Linlin's tea parties." Chitsujo said calmly. "However, you simply cannot just invite someone to a tea party on the day of the tea party."

"That is just…bad manners, don't you think, Tamago?"

Tamago and Pekoms both fell silent at Chitsujo's statement. The man was incredibly intimidating. As intimidating as they could infer from reading Capone Bege's reports on the man. "I thought you might say that, Lord Chitsujo," Tamago regained his composure, "which is why it is my pleasure to inform you that Mama has decided to make things simple."

Chitsujo narrowed his eyes. "And just what do you mean by that, Tamago?"

"Mama will be arriving off the coast of Dressrosa on her flagship soon." Tamagi gave Chitsujo a smile. "You can make the tea party that way."

Riku's eyes widened in horror. "Big Mom is coming here? Thee Big Mom?" Riku began to panic.

Chitsujo held his hand up to calm Riku. He then glared at Tamago and Pekoms. "Do you boys think me a fool?" He demanded.

Pekoms and Tamago both stayed silent. "Do you honestly think I don't see what is going on here?" Chitsujo inquired of them. "How deliberate this was? You are not as subtle as you think, gentlemen."

"Here's how I see things," Chitsujo continued, "Linlin sent an invitation to a tea party meant to specifically arrive on this very day, knowing I would not be able to make said party unless she arrived at my location. Of course, that location happens to be Alliance HQ and heavily populated with innocent civilians."

"And since I know some of my own troops have been passing information to Linlin, she knows that I care deeply for the civilians under my protection. And that means she knew that if she brought herself and her flagship to the area, putting all of the civilians under my protection at risk and thus forcing me to attend a tea party where I will be speaking with her on her terms."

Tamago and Pekoms paled, knowing that was exactly what Mama had been planning. "If I had to guess," Chitsujo smiled knowingly, "Kaido received his invitation much earlier than I did, giving him time to arrive at this tea party on time. In fact, I think I'm pretty sure his flagship will be arriving soon enough."

Riku paled even further. Oh yeah, Kaido was showing up too. Two of the Four Emperors, stationed right outside of his country. "Well, would you say that's accurate, Tamago, Pekoms?" Chitsujo inquired.

Tamago and Pekoms could not bring themselves to answer. Suiken and Fūgetsu both smirked from behind. They loved it when their boss was in "king mode" and made scumbags like these two squirm.

"Tell me, Pekoms," Chitsujo addressed the Mink next, "you've been silent for the most part. Do you agree with these methods?"

Pekoms remained silent. "Whether Pekoms agrees or not matters little. We are Mama's soldiers. Our orders are absolute." Tamago spoke for his partner.

"Then your existence is truly tragic." Chitsujo said with a twinge of sympathy.

"Now, let me make something perfectly clear," Chitsujo said to them, "I will not be intimidated by Linlin, and I certainly will not allow her to use the innocent people of Dressrosa to get to me."

"So I will play your game for now." Chitsujo told them. "I will attend Linlin's tea party. I've always wanted to personally meet two of the Four Emperors."

"Go back to your 'Mama' and tell her that I will see her and Kaido soon on her flagship. Also, tell her that I look forward to her little tea party. You both are dismissed."

Tamago and Pekoms both gaped at Chitsujo in disbelief. King or not, this man should not be so unintimidated by Big Mom _and_ Kaido. "His Majesty gave you your orders." Fūgetsu nudged Tamago with the butt end of her naginata.

"Now leave," Suiken added. "I trust you both can find your way back."

Tamago and Pekoms both trudged out of Chitsujo's office, visibly intimidated by the man. The messenger from before suddenly arrived. "We have something new," she said, "the flagships of Big Mom and Kaido!"

"God…" Riku muttered. "Two emperors…here…"

Chitsujo then turned his attention back to Riku. "Everything's going to be fine." He promised. "I'm going to take care of this."

Chitsujo then walked up to Suiken and Fūgetsu and addressed his two Arch Generals. "Gather your Gold, Silver and Bronze Gates, bring them to any ships in the West harbor that are available. Keep them mobilized. If you see anything that looks like an act of aggression from either side, you have my permission to set sail and engage both crews."

"Yes, sir," Suiken and Fūgetsu both said in unison.

"And tell the harbormaster to prepare me a small vessel to bring me a small ship…and have some gifts prepared for this party. You know which ones I'm talking about"

On the flagship of the Big Mom Pirates, a hulking behemoth of a woman cackled madly. "Mamamamama!" Charlotte Linlin cackled. "It will begin soon! It will begin soon! The tea party of royalty!"

Linlin continued to laugh as the preparations for a great party were laid out before her.

Meanwhile, Chitsujo arrived near the harbor, amidst the panicking crowds who were looking out at the flagships of both the Big Mom Pirates and the Beasts Pirates. Chitsujo narrowed his eyes in frustration in anger.

 _Damn, this infuriates me._ He thought. _It's one thing to go after me, but to go after innocents to get to me. That is just low. How dare they scare these poor people?_

Chitsujo took a deep breath, calming himself. _A king is a symbol of peace and hope._ He reminded himself. _Right now, that is what these people need._

"People of Dressrosa!" Chitsujo called out to the panicking masses, amplifying his voice with a spell. "Remain calm!"

At that moment, silence. The masses were dead silent. "Everything is going to be okay, I promise!" Chitsujo declared.


	3. Chapter 3: Royal Tea Party

**A.N: Interesting fact, this actually took me two days to write. The fact that the last chapter took what, two, three weeks and this one took two days should really give you an idea of what the work schedule is going to be like, especially with the Multiverse Tournament and Wild Hunt taking off. Which reminds me, super happy to see both stories so well received so far. If you haven't already, check them out. Wild Hunt especially if you're a RWBY fan. Until then, enjoy a tea party.**

 **Chapter 3: Royal Tea Party**

Inside of Dressrosa's palace, Red Haired Shanks pouted in depression and slight frustration. This did not go unnoticed by his comrade, Benn Beckman. "Boss, could you not pout like that?" Beckman requested. "You're the captain of the Red Haired Pirates and one of the Four Emperors. At least conduct yourself like such."

Shanks ignored Beckman's statements and continued to pout. He then spoke up, having heard the recent news of Big Mom and Kaido parking their flagships just outside of Dressrosa. "Why didn't Big Mom invite me to her tea party, Beckman?"

Beckman sweat-dropped. Was that seriously why Shanks was upset? "Boss," Beckman said, "why the hell does this bother you?"

"Big Mom has never bothered to invite me to one of her tea parties before. Considering all the fanfare her parties have, we could've used them to nurture a more peaceful relationship between our territories."

"It's a well known fact that the woman known as Big Mom is insane." Beckman pointed out. "I doubt she even considers the possibility of nurturing a peaceful relationship with rivals. If anything, I'd be willing to bet she's been constantly plotting our downfall from the beginning. Of course, the other reason is probably just because she wants to meet our shared boss and see what he's like. That's what I'd do."

"You're so paranoid, Beckman." Shanks noted. "I take it that means you've already got a strategy to fight Big Mom and her crew just in case we have to one day take them on?"

Beckman smiled. "Hell yeah, you know I do, Boss." He said. "Although, I do feel like you should know it's only got a 50% success rate, like every other strategy I've got against the Four Emperors."

"Except Teach, right?" Shanks noted.

"Yeah," Beckman nodded, "no matter what I do, my best strategy only can reach a 20% success rate."

"Well, hopefully we can raise it up with our new friends." Shanks pointed out. "So, I take it Lord Chitsujo is currently on his way to this last-minute tea party?"

"That's what the word on the street is," Beckman nodded, "honestly, I wish he had stuck around long enough for me to inform him how to deal with Big Mom, but the situation had become urgent with both her and Kaido showing up out of nowhere."

At that moment, Monkey D. Dragon suddenly ran inside the room, surprisingly looking frantic. "What the hell is going on? Why is Chitsujo going to Big Mom's tea party alone?"

"Whoa, whoa, alone?" Beckman now looked frantic. "We weren't informed of anything like that! I was under the impression that he was going with a couple bodyguards!"

"Well, he's not!" Dragon yelled. "He does realize what he's walking into, right?"

Shanks and Beckman looked at each other. Chitsujo had to know, right? His job _was_ to watch over the entire universe. "Big Mom's tea parties are known for being one of two things," Dragon growled, remembering the information he had gathered from the underworld, "either as peaceful backroom political deal with her own underworld lackeys, or as a bloody nightmare where she massacres her own guests just to absorb their assets into her own empire."

"What do you think this tea party is going to be?" Shanks inquired curiously. "She can't possibly intend to try something with Kaido also involved, right?"

"I don't know," Dragon admitted, "which is why it is absolutely reckless for him to go alone!"

"We don't know if Big Mom is doing this to make some sort of deal with Kaido and Chitsujo, and we don't know if she's actually bold enough to try and kill them either." Dragon continued. "He should've taken bodyguards with him! I don't care how strong the man is! Going alone to one of those tea parties is careless and reckless!"

"Okay, okay, let's just chill out, Supreme Commander." Shanks tried to calm the Alliance's Supreme Commander. "Perhaps the reason Lord Chitsujo rushed their without bodyguards was because Big Mom and Kaido both showed up out of nowhere and basically gave him no time to do anything other than act."

Dragon looked at Shanks for a moment before taking a deep breath and calmed himself down. "You're right," he said, "we can't panic right now. Right now, the people are looking to us as symbols of security. We can't let them down."

"Shanks, mobilize the Defense Division with Jura. Beckman, gather the other Intelligence Division Commanders. I want a strategy from all four of you within the hour. Hopefully, the tea party gives us enough time to prepare for the worst." Dragon ordered them.

Beckman nodded and dismissed himself. "Alright, let's go, Shanks." Dragon said to the Captian of the Red-Haired Pirates.

"You're coming with me, Supreme Commander?" Shanks was surprised.

Dragon nodded. "If Big Mom gets violent, Kaido won't miss his chance to do the same. No offense to you, but we can't match the threat of two emperors of the sea with one. I need to get involved too."

With that, the two men began their trek outside of Dressrosa's palace, ready to prepare for the worst.

Meanwhile, on Big Mom's flagship, the Queen Mama Chanter, Charlotte Linlin, also known as Big Mom, laughed loudly as she munched on candies that oddly had eyes, noses and mouths. They all smiled as they went down the giant woman's gullet. Next to her, in her large chair, a lanky man carrying a giant candy cane. "Kukukuku, you look happier than usual, Mama. Did the chefs at Totland make you an even more delicious send-off meal than you thought?"

Linlin shook her head. "Perospero," she said to the man, "as my eldest child, you should know by now that I am always happy whenever I am in an unbeatable position."

Charlotte Perospero, the eldest child of the Charlotte Family, chuckled cruelly. "This Chitsujo fellow fancies himself a divine king," Perospero noted (quite inaccurately mind you), "we're going to show him how we do things on the high seas. The so-called divine king is trapped in a no-win situation where the only way Dressrosa, his precious HQ, can survive is if he capitulates to all our demands. So sweet! So deliciously sweet! Perhaps we can use this as an opportunity to get some of his kingdom's wealth?"

"First, we focus only on what we want right now, Perospero." Linlin told her son. "We can't get too greedy _yet._ "

"Right now, the most important thing to do is to get your son back." Linlin addressed someone new. "After all, an alliance is only effective when the parties are bound together by blood and love."

"Wouldn't you agree, Vinsmoke Judge?"

Vinsmoke Judge, leader of Germa 66, the kingdom on the seas, nodded. "Yes, yes, just as long as you keep your end of the bargain, Linlin."

"Mamamama, I despise people who go against deals, Judge." Linlin promised him. "You marry your third son to my Pudding, and you will have my military strength in your little conquest."

Judge nodded and took his seat at the tea party, ready to get exactly what he wanted. Then, one by one, his four beloved children, three sons and one daughter, sat next to him. At that moment, a massively tall man with his mouth covered by a scarf, dropped from the crow's nest and landed next to Big Mom. "Mama," the man addressed Linlin, "I have news."

"What is it, Katakuri?" Linlin addressed her second son.

Charlotte Katakuri, the second son of the Charlotte Family, the Minister of Flour of the Totland Kingdom, and most importantly one of the Three Sweet Commanders—one of the three strongest members of the Big Mom Pirates right behind Linlin herself—bowed in respect to his mother. "A ship with Kaido will be arriving within minutes." He said.

Katakuri then narrowed his eyes in anticipation. "Also, a small vessel with one man has just cast off from the harbor. We suspect that the occupant is the man known as Chitsujo."

"Mamama," Linlin laughed in amusement, "one man? What does he think he's trying to prove by going alone? Is it pride? Naivety? Stupidity? Maybe he is simply a bigger fool than I realized. I can't believe Bege takes this man so seriously."

Katakuri, however, had a very different opinion on the matter. _Whoever this Chitsujo is, he clearly has a reputation that has left him with an image that commands respect for both his station and his power._ Katakuri noted. _Not only that, but there is no way he isn't a fool. From what we understand, there is no way he is unaware of the threat of not one but two of the Four Emperors. So why? Why would he attend this tea party with no protection whatsoever? He can't possibly believe he is capable of taking on all of us if negotiations break down?_

 _How could a man held in such high regard by so many different people be such a fool? He can't have earned the respect of so many people who have so many different ideals being all muscle. He'd have to be wise too. And no wise man would attend this tea party alone. That means one of two things. Either is bodyguards are hidden, or he really is as strong as people think he is, and he is more than capable of handling us on his own._

Katakuri then came to a very chilling conclusion. _I don't think Mama is taking this matter seriously enough. We may have very well bitten off more than we can chew in taking on this man._

"Mama!" Two chess soldiers called out in unison. "Presenting Lord Kaido, King of Beasts!"

Linlin turned to see the hulking behemoth known as Kaido walking towards her table. Linlin put on a pleasant smile for her rival for the title: King of the Pirates. "Kaido," she said, "welcome to my tea party. I'm so glad you could make it. It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

"I was under the impression that even the demons of Hell come to your tea parties, Linlin." Kaido noted. "I almost decided to gamble what happens when a monster like me refuses such an invitation."

"However, I'm only here for one reason." Kaido admitted as he took a giant seat near Linlin. "I want to meet the man in charge of the bastard that injured me. I have a lot to _discuss_ with him."

Linlin wanted to chuckle, but remained silent. She had heard of that incident, and damn was it amusing to hear. Of course, Kaido did not need to know that.

"Mama! Mama!" The two chess soldiers arrived once more. "A man in blue and gold has arrived, he's carrying a bag and a large bottle of what appears to be alcohol of some sort."

"That must be Chitsujo," Linlin noted, "allow him to come aboard…"

At that moment, Linlin was cut off by a figure leaping onto her flagship with ease, causing her to fall silent. Chitsujo then gave everyone a pleasant, sheepish smile. "Er…should I have asked for permission to come aboard first? I'm kinda new to this stuff."

Kaido narrowed his eyes. _So that's Chitsujo,_ he noted, _he has a lot to answer for._

Judge looked at Chitsujo in confusion. _He dresses the part, but he really doesn't look that impressive. He doesn't radiate power, like Linlin and Kaido do. Is this man really the Alliance's founder?_

Katakuri, however, was immediately intimidated by the man. He went utterly pale at the sight of the King of Menou. _My heart is racing._ He realized. _I'm…terrified. He looks so pleasant, but beneath that dumb smile of his, lies a veteran warrior, and a powerful one at that._

Linlin, however, laughed in amusement. "Oh, it's no trouble at all. You must be Chitsujo, correct? It is a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm so glad you could make my tea party."

Chitsujo laughed in amusement as well as he walked towards the table with his two large objects in hand. "Well, I believe that the demons themselves come to your tea parties, no? With a reputation like that, it's best I attend them."

Inwardly, Linlin could not help but feel impressed by the man. _He's surprisingly calm for being deliberately given such short notice. He can't be that confident._

"Now then," Chitsujo said as he brandished the bag and bottle, "in my kingdom, it is customary to provide gifts whenever you have gatherings like these."

Linlin and Kaido both gazed at Chitsujo in surprise. Chitsujo then tossed the bag towards Linlin, and then the bottle towards Kaido. "That bottle contains some of the finest alcohol in Menou. That shall be your gift, Kaido." Chitsujo said pleasantly.

Kaido uncorked the bottle and immediately began chugging it. Linlin then opened the bag and gasped in shock. "That bag contains the finest candies made by Menou's confectioners." Chitsujo told Linlin. "I know how much you love sweets, so consider it a gift from me to you."

"How dare you!" Perospero hissed at the man. "Using Mama's love of sweets as a way to poison her!"

Chitsujo looked offended. "How dare _you_ , Charlotte Perospero?" He demanded. "I will not dishonor the efforts of my people by poisoning their creations."

Perospero turned to Linlin to try to dissuade her from eating the sweets, only for his mouth to drop open in shock. She was already shoveling a giant handful into her mouth. "Brother Peros, calm down." Katakuri glared at the man. "You almost caused an incident right then and there by accusing Lord Chitsujo with no proof whatsoever?"

Perospero gasped, realizing his slip-up. Chitsujo chuckled. "Perospero, your concern for your mother and leader is admirable, but why don't you rely on the word of the man who can see the future over me?"

Katakuri nodded. "Indeed, Lord Chitsujo did no such thing, Brother Peros. Not only that…"

Linlin suddenly squealed with glee. "…But Mama has enjoyed the sweets immensely." Katakuri finished, shocking Perospero.

"So delicious!" Linlin exclaimed. "I haven't had candies that good in so long!"

Kaido then finished his long chug of alcohol and gave a happy grin. "Wonderful booze!" He exclaimed. "You give damn good gifts, Chitsujo."

Chitsujo nodded. "The tradition was one of many started by my father. He believed that it was important to start off these kinds of events with an action that would put everyone in a good mood. Hence, the tradition of gift-giving began."

Chitsujo then took his seat across Linlin and Kaido. He then noticed Judge and his children. "Oh? I wasn't aware we would be including Vinsmoke Judge of Germa 66 and his children. Apologies, had I known, I would've prepared you a gift as well."

"Oh, no worries. I am technically here with Linlin." Judge said. "Germa 66 is currently trying to form an alliance with the Big Mom Pirates."

"You don't say," Chitsujo feigned surprise.

He was well aware of that. And now that he knew Judge was here, he could tell what part of this tea party was going to be about. He was then suddenly served tea and snacks by a few servants. "Why thank you," he said pleasantly to the servants.

Chitsujo then turned his attention to the two emperors before him and smiled knowingly. "Now then, why don't we get down to business?" He suggested.

"Business?" Linlin gasped in surprise. "Slow down for a moment, Chitsujo. Let's try to enjoy our tea and snacks first."

Chitsujo shook his head. "The offer is quite tempting, Linlin." He admitted. "However, I need you, and Kaido for that matter, to understand that I am a very busy man. I have a war to run. I made time to attend this little tea party. However, I'm afraid I can't stay too long. My troops have just cast off. Not only that, but both of your arrivals have frightened the good people of Dressrosa. So I would like to keep this tea party brief, if you don't mind."

Linlin and Kaido both fell silent at Chitsujo's statements. Perospero seethed in anger. _The nerve of this man._

Judge narrowed his eyes. _What is he trying to pull in deliberately rushing this tea party?_ He wondered.

Linlin then nodded in agreement. "Normally," she said, "I decide the flow of my tea parties. However, since you have come to see us on such short notice, and you provided these wonderful gifts, I suppose I can make an exception."

Katakuri's eyes widened. _Not only was he adhering to a tradition he holds dear, but he purposely buttered up both Mama and Kaido so that Mama would be more open to his suggestions. He's a clever bastard, but he's also a man of honor. How in the world do you plan for someone like this?_

 _Damn, Mama needs to catch onto his methods soon if she wants any chance to keeping control of her tea party. If I say anything though, Lord Chitsujo will know that I know. And Mama will dismiss me as a mere child…like she always does._

Chitsujo gave Linlin a smile before turning to Kaido. "I take it you have no objections with this either, Kaido?" Chitsujo inquired. "After all, I'm sure you have a lot that you want to say to me, right?"

Kaido narrowed his eyes. "Your damn right I do." He growled. "One of your men attacked me and my crew! I only came to this party because I wanted to meet the man in charge of that bastard Setsudo so that I could demand reparations."

Chitsujo remained silence. "So what do you have to say about that, Chitsujo?" Kaido demanded. "Jack and his crew were hospitalized for days because of your man!"

"I believe Setsudo told you he would've preferred to keep matters between you and him peaceful." Chitsujo calmly noted. "And the only reason you were injured was because you attacked him first."

"The same happened with Jack," Chitsujo continued, "I think you fail to understand the mechanics of Setsudo's power. It is only triggered when the user is attacked. Setsudo is not a violent man. In fact, he is inherently peaceful and defensive by nature. The only way he'd possibly injure someone is if they attacked him first."

"So answer this question, Kaido, why would I offer any sort of reparations when your men attacked mine first?" He inquired. "Doesn't that seem _just_ a bit arrogant on your part?"

Kaido glared at Chitsujo, who remained unflinching in the man's gaze. "The matter could've been resolved peacefully had you simply offered Eustass Kidd to us without any complaint." Chitsujo pointed out to Kaido. "But instead, you and your men tried to attack someone who had no intention of fighting you."

"So allow me to make something perfectly clear." Chitsujo said firmly. "I will not offer any sort of reparations when it was your men who struck first. I will not pay for nonexistent sins. However, I can promise you that future incidents like that mess will be avoided as long as we can keep matters peaceful and civil."

Kaido almost shot out of his seat, grabbed his spiked club, and destroyed the table in a fit of rage, but then gazed at the large bottle of alcohol. _That_ _ **was**_ _some damn good booze._ He noted.

Alcoholism folks, it does horrible things to people…

Kaido relaxed back into his seat. "Since we're at an impasse, I suppose I'll just end the conversation and enjoy the party. Besides, I'm quite curious as to why Linlin has decided to throw a tea party with the three of us as the main focus."

"Mamamama, finally," Linlin laughed, "I was waiting when you two boys would stop your little pissing contest."

Linlin then spoke to Chitsujo. "Much like Kaido, I too came here with a desire to negotiate. However, I can assure you, these do not involve reparations."

Chitsujo nodded. "I see," he said, "then what is it you wish to negotiate with me, Linlin?"

 _He's too calm,_ Katakuri thought, _when Mama wants to negotiate, that usually means giving her everything she wants, otherwise, she destroys you. He should know that. He's too calm._

 _Mama doesn't know it, but he has the upper hand already. Facing down any of the Four Emperors without fear gives you an edge._

"Consider this a business transaction, Chitsujo." Linlin said. "There are certain individuals that I would like for you to transfer into my care."

"Individuals?" Chitsujo raised an eyebrow. "With all due respect, Linlin, human trafficking is a disgusting business. One that I want no part of. I'm afraid you'll have to find someone else to partake in your slave trade."

Linlin laughed in amusement. "Oh no, nothing like that. I'm not particularly fond of human trafficking myself. Why would I waste my time stealing people when I can simply coerce them into cooperating through my power and status?"

"Perhaps I should've been a bit more clear. You see, I'm a businesswoman at heart, Chitsujo." Linlin explained. "And right now, you have some people who would contribute greatly to my business. I would like them sent to me as soon as possible."

Chitsujo smiled in amusement. "You know, that still sounds like human trafficking." He noted.

"Mamamama, I guess there is no nice way to say it." Linlin admitted. "Very well, I will come right out with it."

"First," Linlin began, "you have some subordinates of mine that are under your service."

"I don't know why you wanted to recruit Jinbe and Capone Bege, and I also don't know why they agreed when they were under my service in the first place. Either way, your war you are fighting is a fool's endeavor. Anyone can see that. You are doomed to lose eventually. Even I don't try to make trouble for the World Government because I myself know that it is a fool's errand to face them. It's simply bad business."

Katakuri frowned. _Sure, we discussed having Jinbe and Bege released back into our services after we decided it might not be safe for Bege to remain spying on the Alliance anymore, and Jinbe is far too valuable to risk; but there's no way to lie effectively about wanting them back under our control without admitting we sent one of them to spy. It's too much to hope that a man like Lord Chitsujo won't catch onto that._

Chitsujo frowned. He definitely did not like to hear that the war was a fool's errand, especially when a lot of good people had already given their lives for it. "I see, so you would like Jinbe and Bege released from my services back to you for their own safety?"

Linlin nodded. "Those two are valued members of my crew. Jinbe has brought many great 'treasures' to me that will aid us for years to come. And Bege is a very valued Rook and a son-in-law of mine."

Chitsujo nodded. "Understandable," he said, "but I believe you have one more person you'd like involved in this little business transaction, Linlin."

Linlin raised an eyebrow at Chitsujo's statement. "And what makes you say that, Chitsujo?" She inquired curiously.

Chitsujo smiled knowingly. "I make it my business to understand the backgrounds and pasts of each of my soldiers, it comes with my job. In fact, I try to make an effort to learn about every soldier under my command, as do all of my high-ranking soldiers. We of Menou take our bonds very seriously, and part of that bond comes from the simple effort of trying to learn about each other."

"I see," Linlin nodded in understanding.

Chitsujo then gestured to Judge and his children, whom had all remained silent up throughout most of this tea party. "Also, Vinsmoke Judge is here, along with his children." Chitsujo pointed out. "No offense, Judge, but if you all are not here to discuss who I think you plan to discuss, then why are you even here?"

Kaido was also interested in this. _Why is that small-fry here?_ He wondered, gazing at Judge.

"Mamama, very perceptive, Chitsujo," Linlin complimented, applauding the man, "very perceptive indeed. You are correct. The other person we would like released into our care has to do with the presence of Germa 66."

"You have the third son of the Vinsmoke Family, Vinsmoke Sanji under your services." Linlin then said with complete seriousness. "Deliver him to us as soon as possible."

"Oh? And what exactly do you desire from Sanji?" Chitsujo inquired, feigning confusion on the matter. "The man hasn't used his family name in years."

"You may not know this, but Germa 66 and the Big Mom Pirates are trying to form an alliance." Linlin explained. "And to me, an alliance is truly effective when the two parties are connected by a bond of love and blood."

"Family," Chitsujo immediately caught on.

Kaido narrowed his eyes. _That bitch!_ He thought furiously. _She plans to use Germa 66's technology to counter my army of SMILEs._

"Unfortunately," Linlin continued, looking a bit irritated, "negotiations have been a bit…slow, because Judge doesn't seem to wish to marry any of his three sons that you see before you to my daughters. I was ready to call the whole thing off, until he informed me of a fourth son that has been…wayward for the past several years."

"And well," Linlin regained her composure and smiled, "you could say that I was intrigued. I know what it's like to have wayward children. And the thought of bringing one back under control for someone else was…quite tempting."

Chitsujo remained silent. Katakuri then spoke up. "The plan is this, Your Excellency. Once you release Vinsmoke Sanji to us, we will immediately proceed with wedding plans. And then, within the month, he will be married to my younger sister, Charlotte Pudding, the 35th Daughter of the Charlotte Family."

Katakuri narrowed his eyes. _Now, how will you respond?_ He wondered, gazing into the future with his incredibly powerful Observation Haki.

Katakuri's eyes then widened in slight surprise at the answer. "Sanji is a member of a crew already, and he is quite loyal to them." Chitsujo noted.

 _Not bad, Linlin,_ Chitsujo gazed at Katakuri, _using your son to gaze into the future to understand my responses to these demands of yours. Unfortunately for you, clairvoyance means nothing if you cannot alter the future._

"That matters little to me. I don't care if he's a part of some second-rate Supernova's crew." Linlin brushed the Straw Hats off. "I have decided that the wayward son of the Vinsmokes will be marrying my Pudding. It's that simple."

Katakuri frowned. _He's going to speak to Judge next. What is he trying to accomplish by stalling and asking these kinds of questions?_

"Sanji hasn't used his family name in years, Judge. I assume that means he has been estranged for that many years." A lie, Chitsujo was well aware of what happened between Sanji and his family, and it made him sick to his stomach. "So why interfere with his life now?"

Judge scowled. "I'm giving that failure a chance to be useful for once in his miserable life." He said. "He should be grateful for this chance."

Chitsujo narrowed his eyes. He then addressed Judge's children, surprising Judge and Katakuri. "Tell me, what are your thoughts on having your brother back in the family?"

Vinsmoke Ichiji spoke first. "Father is right, Sanji's nothing but a failure. Frankly, I always thought it was for the best he was no longer a part of our family."

Next, Vinsmoke Niji spoke. "But, we do need this alliance to reclaim Germa 66's former glory, and since royals as great as us shouldn't have to settle down and do something as dumb as _marry_ , why not make the failure useful for a change."

Vinsmoke Yonji then grinned. "Besides, having Sanji back in the family will be fun. It'll be great to have a punching bag again."

Vinsmoke Reiju, however, remained silent for a brief moment before settling on a simple response. "Father's orders are absolute," she said, "he wants Sanji back, that's all there is to it."

Katakuri was horrified, though his face did not show it. _Those arrogant brats!_ He thought. _Why in the world did they think responding like that was acceptable? Did Lord Chitsujo know they would respond like that? Can he see into the future too?_

Chitsujo nodded at their answers. "Now that I've gotten an answer from the Vinsmokes, I think I have a good understanding of this business transaction." He said to Linlin. "However, a business transaction is only such if I receive something in return."

"So tell me, Linlin, what will I receive if I meet your demands and release those three into your possession?"

Linlin smirked. "Well, for starters, you will have my word that my crew won't destroy your headquarters at _any time._ "

Linlin let those words hang in the air. Chitsujo knew the hidden meaning. Either he agreed, or Dressrosa would be destroyed on the spot. It was just as he thought. She was trying to hold Dressrosa hostage to get him to do what she wanted.

"Also," Linlin continued, "who knows, I'm a fair woman. I suppose I will also invite you to the wedding, and maybe even introduce you to some of my daughters. I'm sure a man like yourself can see the benefits of allying with my empire."

Chitsujo laughed. "I'm afraid your daughters are a bit young for me, Linlin, but I'm flattered by the offer."

"Then, perhaps Totland is due for a new king?" Linlin suggested.

"You're a bit too young for me as well, Linlin." Chitsujo politely declined.

Reiju's curiosity then got the better of her, looking at the young-looking king. "If you don't mind me asking, Lord Chitsujo, how old are you?"

Chitsujo thought it over and then gave a shrug. "I stopped counting after the second millennium." He admitted.

"Alright, if monetary compensation is your pleasure, I'm more than happy to deliver you treasure instead." Linlin said. "We recently received some gold and jewels that I have no interest in, especially now that I have this new, delicious candy of yours."

"If that's what you want instead, I'll gladly trade you those three for our new treasures." Linlin promised. "After all, you need money to keep your war effort afloat, right?"

"But who knows, I'll even throw in a promise to keep Kaido away from your headquarters if you're willing to make sure that annoying brat, Straw Hat Luffy doesn't try to interfere with the wedding. I'm well aware of that brat's tendencies. Leaving Enies Lobby with the Demon Child, Nico Robin? Who's to say he wouldn't try the same if Vinsmoke Sanji left for the wedding?"

Kaido almost yelled an angry response, about to demand if that was a declaration of war on him, before Chitsujo cut him off. "The chances of Luffy trying to interfere in that wedding are quite high." Chitsujo commented. "I believe he already has a bone to pick with you over Fishman Island, correct?"

"And that is why I would very much like your guarantee to keep Garp's Grandson out of the wedding." Linlin noted, "I have no time to deal with an upstart like him."

"Let's slow down just a little, Linlin." Chitsujo then said with a calm smile. "I haven't even agreed to your terms yet."

"Oh?" Linlin sounded disappointed. "Come now, Chitsujo, there is no need to be so stubborn. Surely, someone as smart as you can see the benefits of taking my deal."

"Why thank you," Chitsujo said, sounding grateful for the praise, "people call me a wise king all the time, so I sometimes wonder if that word has lost its meaning, considering the mistakes I've made over the years."

"Anyway, you're right, to the average person, taking a deal like that would be a smart move." Chitsujo noted. "All I need to guarantee the safety of millions of innocent people is to hand over three individuals. To the average person, three lives against millions is a small price to pay. And then the added offer of riches as well as protection from a force as powerful from the Beasts Pirates makes it too good to pass up."

"Excellent, then it appears we have an agreement." Linlin noted.

Katakuri's eyes then widened, seeing the future ahead of him. _No…he wouldn't._

"But, I refuse." Chitsujo said simply but firmly.

Silence. You could hear a pin drop on the Queen Mama Chanter as everyone gazed at Chitsujo in disbelief. Katakuri went pale with utter fright. _Oh no…this future we're heading into…may very well be the darkest one possible._

Perospero almost dropped his candy cane. _He didn't…he wouldn't._

 _Has he lost his senses?_ Kaido wondered. _Does he know what he's saying?_

Judge gripped his armrests in anger. _That bastard, who does he think he is? Does he not realize what he is doing to me by refusing Big Mom?_

Linlin then got over her surprise and smiled. "I'm sorry, I believe I misheard you." She said, clearly trying to remain calm. "I'm sure I misheard, because there is _absolutely no way_ you would refuse this deal after admitting it was such a good one."

"I assure you, there is nothing wrong with your ears. You heard correctly." Chitsujo replied firmly. "But, in case you still don't believe it, allow me to repeat myself."

"I refuse." Chitsujo repeated.

Perospero's giant tongue rolled out of his mouth as said mouth dropped open in utter shock. "Perorin?" Perospero could only mutter in disbelief.

"Then I was wrong." Linlin dropped all pretenses of civility as she rose from her chair. "You are not smart at all. In fact, you are the biggest fool in the entire universe if you think refusing such a generous deal from me is a good decision!"

Chitsujo then calmly watched as a sun and cloud with human faces appeared by Linlin's side. "I agree," Judge snarled, rising from his seat as well, "you have no right to refuse Big Mom, one of the Four Emperor's of the Sea. And you definitely have no right to refuse the king of Germa!"

"Have you forgotten that I am royalty as well, Judge?" Chitsujo inquired of the man. "In terms of social status, as far as I'm concerned, we're equals."

"That changes nothing!" Judge yelled. "A demand from one of the Four Emperors creates inevitability! To be driven to one's end! It means that in order to survive you have no choice but to capitulate!"

"In other words, you will do what she commands, king or not!" Judge exclaimed.

"I agree!" Kaido grinned, dropping all pretenses of civility as well as he rose from his chair. "And since we're no longer pretending to be all buddy-buddy, why don't we talk reparations again, Chitsujo!"

"Linlin," Kaido turned to his fellow emperor of the sea, "why don't we forget our differences for the time being and crush this man together, seeing he's wronged us both now!"

"Fine, but you better not get in my way, Kaido." Linlin told him. "Otherwise, I might just kill you too."

Chitsujo heaved a sigh as he took a sip of his tea, clearly uncaring of the fact that he was currently being threatened by two of the Four Emperors, two of the four most powerful pirates on the high seas at the moment. "Too bad, I was actually enjoying these refreshments. I guess negotiations have broken down faster than I expected."

"By your hands might I point out!" Linlin yelled. "You should've just taken my offer, you damn fool!"

Chitsujo then dropped his pleasant face in favor of an angry one. "Your offer? You mean your offer to ruin a good man's life for the sake of political convenience for both you and Germa 66? Your offer to control two of your subordinates through fear like you always do? Your offer to try to control me and the good people of Dressrosa through fear? Since we're all being so honest with each other, Linlin, allow me to say this: Your offer is a damn sham."

"A sham? Mama would've done all she said you fool!" Perospero yelled.

Katakuri looked into the future, wondering what Chitsujo would do next. _He's…monologuing?_ Katakuri was surprised. _Damn, he's left no openings too. Attacking him while he's monologuing would actually be unwise._

"And what kind of future would I create by accepting this offer, out of curiosity? Dooming three men to hellish futures? Dooming the people of Dressrosa to another life of fear of angering their new master."

"First of all, I refuse to subject Dressrosa to that kind of hell. They've been through enough. Second of all, even if it means risking everything, I would rather take that gamble than betray my allies. A man who would sacrifice others instead of gambling to save _everyone_ is the lowest of the low. That's nothing more than taking the easy way out."

Linlin sputtered in anger. "You have some nerve, Linlin." Chitsujo told her. "You sail to this country, which is under my protection at the moment. You deliberately send me an invitation to a tea party that is _today_ to force me to come on your terms. You hold the people of Dressrosa hostage in an attempt to get me to capitulate to your demands. And in doing so, you threaten a war effort on my alliance's part that is meant to protect the universe from my monster of a brother. And most of all, you arrogantly believe that even though I know all of this, I will still do what you want."

"And you, Kaido, are no better," Chitsujo continued, turning his attention to the infamous King of Beasts, "I could go on and on about my disgust over what you did to the Mink Tribe, but that would mean dishonoring their own efforts to defend themselves from your men. You and your crew chose to attack one of my own when he had a very reasonable request: release Eustass Kidd into my care. And you have the audacity to demand reparations from me?"

"Do you know what I see when I look at the two of you?" Chitsujo inquired. "I see two arrogant children who have gotten too comfortable in their positions as emperors of the sea."

Chitsujo then turned his attention to Judge. "And that leaves you, the one who infuriates me the most out of everyone here."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Judge demanded.

"I have nothing but contempt for you and how you define _family_ , Vinsmoke Judge." Chitsujo admitted. "You turn your own children into mindless weapons for your own ends. Then you subject one of them to horrific abuses when he doesn't turn out the way you wanted. And now, after willingly casting him out, as soon as he becomes useful to you again, you have the sheer arrogance to demand he return as though nothing happened?"

"What's your point?" Judge inquired as though there were nothing wrong with any of that.

"My point, Vinsmoke Judge, is that you are nothing but scum dressed in regal clothing and given a fancy title." Chitsujo replied. "And that I thank the gods every single day that _my_ father is a thousand times the man you ever were."

Judge turned red with rage as he stood up from his chair. "You insolent bastard! Who do you think you are, speaking to me like that?"

Ichiji, Niji and Yonji all stood up from their chairs as well, furious at the man for the way he was addressing their father, while Reiju remained seated in stunned silence. Never had she heard someone speak to her father like that. "Who do I think I am?" Chitsujo looked at them all in disbelief. "Did none of you do your research on me before inviting me to this so-called 'tea party'? I am Chitsujo, King of Menou and Lord of Order."

"And I. Don't. Care!" Linlin yelled. "One way or another, you will agree to my demands! Otherwise, I will kill you on this damn ship, and then I'll slaughter every single man, woman, and child in Dressrosa personally!"

At that moment, the sun and cloud with faces changed. The sun became more violent looking while the cloud darkened. Linlin's hat then revealed its own face. "Now then, Chitsujo, will you give me your life or the 'treat' I desire?" Linlin demanded.

"Life or treat!" Linlin yelled. "The choice is yours! Soul Pocus!"

Perospero grinned. _It's all over now. Mama is using her Soul Soul Fruit to remove this fool's lifespan and kill him! No one can survive the Soul Pocus! Perorin!_

Perospero then turned his attention to Katakuri. _Tell me I'm right, dear brother!_ He thought victoriously. _Look into the future with that amazing Observation Haki of yours and tell me what his death looks like! Tell me! Tell me! Tell me! Perorin!_

Then, when Perospero saw Katakuri's face, his eyes widened in horror. Katakuri was completely pale. A look of absolute terror was etched on the man's face. _What? Brother? Why are you frightened?_ Perospero wondered.

Linlin's eyes then widened. "What is the meaning of this?" She demanded. "Why is my Soul Soul Fruit not working?"

"That's impossible, Mama!" The cloud, known as Zeus, tried to reassure her. "Your power is absolute! His soul should be yours, and inside a Homie!"

"It's impossible! Impossible! Impossible!" The sun, known as Prometheus, added.

Chitsujo heaved a sigh. "You've grown arrogant, Linlin. It appears not only does absolute power corrupt, but it also makes those who wield that power arrogant fools."

"What do you mean?" Linlin demanded.

"Your Soul Soul Fruit is not absolute. It has one very glaring weakness." Chitsujo explained. "It does not work if the victim possesses no fear of you whatsoever."

Judge's eyes widened. _No fear? That's impossible! He can't lack fear against Big Mom!_

"Are you telling me you are not afraid?" Linlin demanded. "You have not one, but two of the Four Emperors staring you down and preparing to kill you! You can't be unafraid of that!"

Chitsujo then smirked, surprising Linlin and Kaido. "Have you forgotten already?" He inquired.

Chitsujo then declared loudly for all on both Big Mom and Kaido's flagships to hear. "I am the King of Menou, and the Lord of Order!" He yelled. "Why should I be afraid of _mere_ emperors of the sea?"

Perospero's mouth dropped open again, shocked by Chitsujo's boldness. Kaido grinned. "You've got balls, Chitsujo," he said, "take comfort in that as I turn you into a bloody paste!"

Linlin yelled in anger as Prometheus and Zeus raised up and prepared to strike Chitsujo. "You're dead, you damn fool!" She yelled. "I shall take your life, and then the treats!"

Judge took out his spear while Ichiji, Niji and Yonji all quickly switched into their Raid Suits, Germa 66's finest technology. Reiju, meanwhile, simply remained silent, trying to hide herself from the fight. Her eyes then widened, as though she had just been told something shocking by someone.

Katakuri, meanwhile, gasped, trying to understand something that was currently confusing him a great deal. _What is going on, why can't I see the future right now?_

Chitsujo, meanwhile, simply smirked. "Things seem to have gotten a bit noisy." He mused. "I'm going to go ahead and quiet things down a little."

Then, a sudden shockwave emanated from Chitsujo, all across the Queen Mama Chanter. In a split second, Judge, Ichiji, Niji, Yonji, Reiju, Perospero, Pekoms, Tamago, Katakuri, and all of the chess soldiers collapsed. _Oh…that's why,_ Katakuri realized as he lost consciousness.

 _Impossible,_ Perospero thought in disbelief, _he has…Conqueror's Haki?_

Chitsujo's Metamorphosis power strikes again…

Chitsujo then took one last sip of his tea, one more bite of the snack placed out in front of him, and turned his attention to the last two people standing: Kaido and Linlin, who had been forced to their knees by the blast of Conqueror's Haki. "Now then, why don't I propose a counteroffer?" Chitsujo suggested. "You two leave these waters immediately. Never return. You will leave Sanji, Bege and Jinbe under my command. And you will both promise not to interfere with the war effort."

"Now look who's being arrogant!" Kaido declared, getting to his feet and blackening his club with Haki. "Don't think you can make demands of us and get away with it you bastard!"

Kaido then reached into his pocket and took out a transponder snail. He spoke into it. "Jack, negotiations have failed. Kill them all." He ordered. "We can get our reparations the fun way!"

Linlin narrowed her eyes, realizing that Kaido had planned this from the beginning. However, so had she. She reached into a pocket and took out a transponder snail as well. "Cracker, get moving. It's time to destroy Dressrosa and everyone inside of it." She ordered her son and Sweet Commander.

Kaido hung up and turned his attention back to Chitsujo. "And as for you, die!" He yelled.

Kaido quickly rushed Chitsujo, forgetting the fact he had an ally he could rely on in Linlin. Chitsujo held his hand out in front of him, exiting his Metamorphosis in favor of his usual Creation spells. "Prison Glacier." He commanded as a giant block of ice suddenly appeared, encasing Kaido inside of it.

Meanwhile, at the harbor, Suiken and Fūgetsu both gazed at the giant glacier in slight shock before they both narrowed their eyes. "I guess that's the signal things got violent." Fūgetsu noted.

"Cast off, now!" Suiken ordered of the two ships they were using. At that moment, twenty-six individuals set sail to the Queen Mama Chanter. However, their attention would soon be diverted to the Mammoth, Jack's personal ship, and the fleet of Charlotte Cracker, 10th son of the Charlotte Family and one of the Three Sweet Commanders. Which were beginning to draw closer from a great distance away.

Linlin gazed at the frozen Kaido in shock before turning her attention to Chitsujo. "You have interesting powers." She complimented. "One way or another, I'm going to find out how to take your soul. And then, I'll turn you into my strongest Homie!"

Chitsujo shook his head. "I could end this fight in the blink of an eye just like I did with Kaido, but I need you to remain conscious so we can negotiate my counteroffer, Linlin. So, I'm afraid we're going to have to drag this out a bit."

"Fine by me," Linlin said, drooling her acidic saliva in anticipation, "I'll drag this out for as long as I have to in order to make this as painful as possible!"

Zeus then started to crackle with lightning. Linlin then leapt at Chitsujo and slammed the cloud down on the man. "Thunderbolt!" She yelled, attempting to strike Chitsujo with a powerful bolt of lightning.

Chitsujo calmly held his hand above his head and blocked the bolt of lightning with his bare hand. The deck of the Queen Mama Chanter cracked around their bodies from the impact of the attack. Linlin glared at Chitsujo. It had been a long time since someone survived a direct attack from Zeus.

Linlin then coated her arm in Haki. "HA!" She yelled, throwing a powerful haymaker at Chitsujo, pushing him back to the edge of the Queen Mama Chanter.

Chitsujo recovered quickly and brushed himself off. Linlin, however, refused to let up and Prometheus struck. "Heavenly Fleur!" Linlin yelled as Prometheus let out a tremendous wave of fire that enveloped the King of Menou.

"Wind Cannon." A powerful gust of wind blew the fire out, revealing Chitsujo completely unharmed and holding his hand out.

 _Ice and then wind?_ Linlin was surprised. _Does he have a power similar to my Soul Soul Fruit?_

Sort of, however, whereas the limit to the Soul Soul Fruit was what she could do as long as she could steal someone's soul, Chitsujo's limits were simply his imagination. Simply put, Linlin was an inferior version of Chitsujo, and she was about to find out just how large the gap between someone who rules the seas and someone who rules half a world.

Flames then spiraled around Chitsujo's hands. "You wield the flames of Prometheus with very little care. A flame that burns uncontrollably is useless. Here's a flame that will only burn you, just like I want it!"

"Full Cremation!" Chitsujo brought his hands together before sending the spiraling flames out in a massive flamethrower.

Linlin's eyes widened and flung Prometheus out in front of her, allowing him to absorb the majority of the flames. Prometheus gasped. "S-so good, his flames taste so good!" He exclaimed with glee.

"Don't focus too much on what's in front of you, Linlin." Chitsujo suggested as lightning crackled around his right hand. "Otherwise, you're going to lose sight of what's around you."

 _Lightning too?_ Linlin was shocked as bolts of lightning suddenly fired outwards.

"Thunder Torpedos!" Chitsujo yelled as Linlin was struck from all over by the many bolts of lightning.

"Mama!" Prometheus, Zeus, and her hat—known as Napoleon—all yelled in concern.

"Now that is how you hit someone with fire and lightning." Chitsujo told Linlin. "Natsu will one day be able to do the same. That much is certain."

Linlin glared at Chitsujo, recovering from the Thunder Torpedoes. "You haven't won yet, you bastard." She growled before addressing Napoleon. "Become a sword, now!"

Napoleon nodded. "Alright, Mama, let's end this son of a bitch!"

At that moment, Napoleon the hat became Napoleon the longsword. Linlin grabbed the seax and slammed the blade into the deck of the Queen Mama Chanter. "How's this for power?" Linlin demanded. "I'll rip you in half!"

Chitsujo narrowed his eyes, aware of the destructive force behind Napoleon's attacks. "Think this through, Linlin." He suggested. "You could very well be hurting your own allies. Some of whom are your own children."

He then noticed that Zeus had moved to the tea table and scooped up a certain picture. He sighed, knowing whom that was a picture of. "I see you've made it clear what it is you value the most." He noted. "The ghost of your past."

Chitsujo heaved a long sigh. _If only you knew how much of a monster that woman truly was._ He thought with a twinge of sympathy.

"SO WHAT?" Linlin yelled, bringing back Napoleon in preparation for a mighty swing. "Die, Chitsujo! Ikoku!"

 _This might sting a bit._ He braced himself for impact as he clapped his hands together for a technique that was not meant to defend him.

Linlin swung Napoleon, creating a massive shockwave that tore across the floor of the Queen Mama Chanter and struck Chitsujo, pushing him across the Queen Mama Chanter once more.

Linlin then saw several shadows above her and looked up to see all of the unconscious people safely suspended in midair in what appeared to be spheres. "Whew, that was a bit too close for comfort." Chitsujo noted as he brushed off his slightly torn clothes. "Ah damn, now I'm going to need a new outfit. My tailor is going to throw a fit over this."

Linlin looked at Chitsujo in disbelief. "You deliberately took that attack to protect the others instead?" She demanded.

Chitsujo smirked. "Diamond Bubbles; a containment technique when I don't want to fight my enemies to the death. Although I must say, it's also quite effective in protecting the unconscious as well."

Linlin gazed at Chitsujo, unable to comprehend his personality and his actions. "What in God's name are you?" She demanded. "Who in their right mind protects their enemies?"

Chitsujo shrugged. "This fight is between you and me, Linlin. I'm not interested in getting others caught up in a battle like this."

"Anyway, now that I've removed all of the unconscious from the battlefield, I can try a bit harder." Chitsujo noted.

Chitsujo slammed his foot into the ground. "Heavy Gravity!" He yelled as the gravity around Linlin suddenly became much, much heavier.

Linlin gasped as she was quickly forced to her knees. The Queen Mama Chanter's deck continued to crack around her. "That gravity you are experience has rendered you completely immobile." Chitsujo told her. "This fight is over."

Chitsujo walked over to Linlin and waved his arm out in front of him. "Flash Fire!" He yelled as Linlin was suddenly enveloped in more flames.

Linlin let out a piercing shriek, feeling pain for the first time in years as she felt burn marks appear on her body. "MAMA!" Her three strongest Homies yelled in horror.

The flames then let up, revealing an injured Charlotte Linlin. Her strongest Homies looked at her state, horrified. They had never seen her like this. Linlin glared at Chitsujo, who stared at her impassively. "Now then, have you had some time to consider my counteroffer, Linlin?" He inquired curiously. "I will give you as many chances as you need to accept. The last thing I want is to shake up the balance of power in this world by killing you, when you have been a neutral party."

"Call off your troops, accept the terms of my offer, and we can all go home." Chitsujo promised. "I'm a man of courtesy, Linlin, and I don't enjoy fighting. Accept my offer and we can end this."

Linlin then surprised Chitsujo by managing to move under his Heavy Gravity. "I am Charlotte Linlin!" She yelled. "I am one of the Four Emperors of the Sea! Nobody goes against a deal with me and gets away with it."

Chitsujo looked at Linlin in slight surprise. "You are certainly a credit to your title." He mused.

"Cognac!" Napoleon then suddenly transformed into a seax.

"Now take this!" Linlin yelled. "Hahaba!"

Chitsujo watched as Napoleon was suddenly swung again, creating a massive shockwave. Chitsujo looked over his shoulder to see the mast. He could not have the Queen Mama Chanter damaged so badly they could not leave. No, the people of Dressrosa needed to see Charlotte Linlin's flagship leave to understand that they could count on their allies to protect them even from Big Mom herself.

Holding his hand out like a blade. Chitsujo delivered a karate chop vertically. "Heavenly Sword!" He yelled, swinging downwards, sending out a shockwave of his own that was pure, concentrated Reiki.

Linlin's eyes widened in disbelief as her Hahaba attack was cut in half by Chitsujo's Heavenly Sword. She blackened her entire torso with Haki. But when she was struck in the chest and shoulder, the blade cut right through her Haki and injured her greatly.

The attack continued to move behind Linlin, destroying part of the back of the Queen Mama Chanter. Most importantly, however, the attack's sheer voice split the very heavens in half, much to the shock of everyone watching the fight.

Jura Neekis, who was stationed on the shores of Dressrosa with the Defense Division in case something went wrong, gaped in utter disbelief. "Such power." He muttered.

Shanks's eyes widened in shock before taking a deep breath. "Well, I'm glad I wasn't at that tea party." He mused.

Monkey D. Dragon heaved a sigh. "You damn showoff." He muttered, shaking his head before giving a small smile. "That's the last time I worry about you."

Meanwhile, at the head of Charlotte Cracker's fleet, a viking-like giant of a man, gaped at the display of power before realizing what that meant for his mother. "Mama needs help!" He declared, unable to believe that he was actually saying such a thing. "All ships, converge on the Queen Mama Chanter!"

Charlotte Cracker, 10th son of the Charlotte Family and one of the Three Sweet Commanders, never thought he would be going to aid his mother in battle. However, he was no fool. A blow like that was normally reserved for when two of the Four Emperors clashed, like when Shanks and Whitebeard got into an argument. This was from one man. One man!

"Lord Cracker!" A chess soldier suddenly ran up to Cracker. "News!"

"This better be important!" Cracker almost struck the chess soldier in irritation. "Mama may actually need our help!"

"Well, Lord Cracker," the chess soldier was a bit nervous, "there are two small ships with twenty-six identified contacts in total. We…we don't know what to do. One of them actually broke off and is now sailing towards us."

"Sailing towards us?" Cracker looked at the soldier in disbelief. "Why the hell are you bothering me with this? It's a small vessel! Blow it out of the water!"

"Well, that's the thing Lord Cracker." The soldier said. "The Homie cannonballs refuse to fire on the vessel."

"WHY?" Cracker demanded in disbelief.

"Well, they're frightened Lord Cracker. They're…frightened of the people on the vessel."

"Frightened of the people on the vessel?" Cracker repeated, going to the bow of the ship and gazing at the small vessel that held thirteen people. "Who in the world is on that vessel?"

On said vessel, General Suiken gave a confident smirk as he drew his katana. "I hope the people of Dressrosa are grateful for this." He mused. "It's not every day we give them a once in a lifetime experience of watching not one by two of the Four Emperor's crews be driven to their wits end."

Suiken then looked over his shoulder at his twelve best troops, his personal Gold, Silver and Bronze Gates. "Are you all ready for this?" He asked. "The strategy here is simple. Stick close together and give our opponents hell. Don't sink any of their ships, just focus on taking down the troops, but leave enough of them conscious to scare them into retreating."

"The people of Dressrosa need to see these crews retreating with their tails between their legs. They need to see that the Big Mom and Beasts Pirates are not as invincible as they make themselves out to be." Suiken reminded them. "So, I'll ask you again, are you all ready to take these arrogant pirates down a notch?"

"Yeah!" His troops yelled.

Meanwhile, on the Mammoth, the mighty flagship of Jack the Drought, the Billion Beri Bounty man himself stared out at the other small vessel that was sailing towards him. "Just what the hell do they think they're trying to accomplish?" Jack wondered. "Do they really mean to challenge the Beasts Pirates with a mere small vessel with thirteen people?"

"They're underestimating us, Lord Jack." Ginrummy noted.

"Fine by me, I want to kill something super bad!" Sheepshead grinned. "Let's make these guys bleed!"

Jack nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you're right." Jack said. "Let's kill them, all of them. These bastards—whomever they are—have no right to challenge us with a measly thirteen troops."

"Fire the cannons!" Jack yelled as his troops scrambled to load the cannons on the Mammoth.

On that particular vessel, General Fūgetsu waved her naginata about in preparation for the battle ahead of her. She noticed the activity on the Mammoth and smiled. "Well, I suppose it was too much to ask for a stealthy approach."

At that moment, their small vessel was fired upon by cannon fire. Fūgetsu smiled. "Well, that's quite the welcome." She said, waving her naginata about and creating several powerful gusts of wind that actually blew the cannon balls off course.

"They're in for a real bad time if they think they can sink us with cannon fire." Fūgetsu noted with a pout. "Guys, you know what to do. Plenty of violence, no killing, leave enough standing to sail the Mammoth away, and put the fear and respect of our kingdom into these brutes. It's time for the Beasts Pirates to learn that they aren't at the top of the food chain."

Jack narrowed his eyes from the bow of the Mammoth. "So, they have a reason to be confident." He mused. "That's fine, I wanted to flex my muscles for a bit anyway. Battle stations, everyone! It's much more fun to rip them apart with our bare hands!"

Then, the two small vessels neared their targets much quicker than before for different reasons. The vessel heading towards Cracker's fleet was moving much quicker due to sudden more powerful waves pushing the ship forward. The vessel sailing towards the Mammoth was being propelled forward by gusts of wind.

Then, when the vessels were close enough, thirteen individuals leapt onto several ships in Cracker's fleet, while elsewhere, thirteen other individuals leapt onto the Mammoth. Both groups were ready for battle. It was time for the Kingdom of Menou to put these two pirate crews in their place.


	4. Chapter 4: Menou's Might

**Chapter 4: Menou's Might**

As the fight between Chitsujo and Charlotte Linlin raged on, the effects of their battle were becoming more apparent. All over, birds were beginning to fly away from islands near and far away from Dressrosa, frightened of the intense clash aboard the Queen Mama Chanter. To the birds, who all have their survival instincts as creatures who live in the wild, it came down to a simple question: leave or die? Such was the intense, frightening power of two juggernauts clashing on the seas.

However, this clash was by no means close. As evidenced by Chitsujo advancing on an injured Charlotte Linlin, who had taken the force of the powerful attack known as Heavenly Sword. "Linlin," he addressed the large, injured woman, "let's stop this pointless fight. You're a smart woman. You know you can't beat me."

Linlin refused to respond. Her pride as an Emperor would not allow it. Chitsujo heaved a sigh. "I get it, this is something very new to you. You were born powerful, too powerful for your own good. So, you've never truly experienced the helplessness of being driven to your wits end by someone far stronger than you. And now that you are experiencing it for the first time, you don't know how to respond to it."

Linlin glared at Chitsujo for that statement. "What, and someone like you has?" Linlin demanded. "Don't act like you have been."

Linlin gave Chitsujo a defiant smile. "You can play the role of paragon all you want, but in the end, you're just like us. Don't act like you're better. Just accept it. A monster standing at the very top of the world. Don't pretend you understand those weaklings below us, Chitsujo."

"Even if everything you say is true, I refuse to be talked down to by someone just like me." Linlin told him.

Chitsujo then gave Linlin a piercing glare at actually would have made Linlin back away had the previous attack not forced her to her knees. "You're wrong, Linlin," he said, frowning as if remembering something particularly unpleasant, "I do know what its like to be helpless."

"You and I are nothing like," Chitsujo regained his composure and continued to lecture Linlin, "and the same goes for Kaido. The two of you allowed yourselves to become disconnected with your fellow man. The blame does lie with those around you. People have a sad tendency to place people on pedestals, I am no better in that regard, being the one on the pedestal, and the one who has placed only one on said pedestal over the years."

"But even so, regardless of all the power I possess, and the pedestal I stand on, I have always been nothing more than human, and I always will be."

At that moment, the sound of what seemed to be glass shattered behind Chitsujo. He heaved a sigh, knowing that it was not glass. No, it was ice. He looked over his shoulder to see a certain individual had returned to the battlefield.

"I knew I couldn't keep you contained forever, Kaido." Chitsujo noted as the King of Beasts returned to the battlefield, utterly livid at being frozen by Chitsujo's Prison Glacier.

"Chitsujo," Kaido hissed before screaming, "Chitsujo!"

Kaido rushed Chitsujo and blackened his arm with Haki. Chitsujo sighed and prepared to block his attack. Linlin, however, had a very different idea. _Sorry, Kaido,_ she thought to herself, gripping Napoleon. _Nothing personal, it's just good business._

"Senkōba!" Linlin yelled, thrusting Napoleon forward with enough force to create an extraordinarily powerful compressed blast of air. Its target? Chitsujo's head and Kaido's chest, judging by the angle of which it had been fired.

Chitsujo, however, knew that Linlin was a sore loser. Her pride simply could not allow her to accept defeat at the hands of her superior opponent. He also knew that Linlin would attack him while his back was turned. This man had thousands of years worth of battle in his memories. A woman who has not even lived nearly as long could never get the jump on him. "Twin Doors." Chitsujo said simply as a spatial portal opened behind him, allowing the compressed, piercing air to travel harmlessly through.

"One door opens," Chitsujo noted as a portal suddenly opened up behind Kaido while blocking a powerful punch from the behemoth, "and another does the same."

Kaido's eyes widened. At that moment, Linlin's Senkōba shot through the second half of Chitsujo's Twin Doors and pierced right through his side, destroying it. It then moved harmlessly past Chitsujo's much smaller body and struck Linlin in the side as well, making the woman gasp.

Kaido stumbled about, his mouth open in shock. _Pain…is this pain?_ He wondered. _All of those times I spent trying to kill myself just for the hell of it…I had forgotten what actual pain was like._

Chitsujo then addressed them in that same calm and focused tone as before. "Now, I will ask you two again, and I will ask you as many times as needed. Will you two accept my counteroffer?"

Kaido and Linlin simply glared at Chitsujo, refusing to believe that two rulers of the sea could lose to some upstart coming out of nowhere. That was not how it was supposed to work. The strong were meant to remain strong. The ones in power were supposed to remain in power. That was how a balance of power was supposed to work. The Three Great Powers existed for that very reason, so that the strong would always be at the very top.

This was a world where the strong ruled! How dare Chitsujo come here and shake things up, along with all of those upstarts he claimed to be allies with? That was the thought going through the minds of both Charlotte Linlin and Kaido, to go with the sheer disbelief they were also experiencing.

In a world where might equaled authority, with very notable exceptions, the very idea of someone coming in to shake up that tendency was a shock to the system. This shock also extended to the direct subordinates of those who had the power. All of them were so used to being underlings of nigh-invulnerable leaders, that the very idea of someone being able to stand up to them was incomprehensible.

Charlotte Cracker, 10th son of the Charlotte Family, and one of the Three Sweet Commanders of the Big Mom Pirates was among those in shock. "Mama is invincible." He muttered to himself. " _The Charlotte Family_ is invincible. This is just a nightmare, a damn nightmare."

Cracker was among the many members of the Charlotte Family who put tremendous stock in their bloodline. To him, one's bloodline determines who they are as people. If someone held the blood of Charlotte Linlin in their veins, then they were truly invincible. So why was the original bearer of that blood struggling so much? It made no damn sense!

"Lord Cracker?" A chess soldier nervously approached the Sweet Commander.

"What?" Cracker sharply demanded before regaining his composure. He had to remember that he was in charge here. He had to keep his cool or the entire fleet would quickly fall apart.

"Erm…the small vessel with thirteen soldiers is rapidly approaching, sir." The chess soldier told him. "What are your orders?"

"Tell all ships to prepare for hand to hand combat." Cracker ordered. "If the cannon Homies are choosing to be insubordinate, then we have no choice but to pick up the slack. And we need to be sure to inform Mama that the souls in those Homies need to be replaced with souls that are a bit more _obedient_."

Cracker hated when the Homies forgot who their masters were. He would never forgive Homies that were insubordinate for whatever reason. They are Mama's servants, and by extension, servants of the Big Mom Pirates. They had no reason to be insubordinate when an order from any of them was basically an order from the great Emperor of the sea herself.

Cracker turned his attention back to the sea where the small vessel was nearing his fleet. He narrowed his big eyes in anger at the vessel. _I don't know who you think you are, but you're going to pay for this. Nobody makes a mockery of the Big Mom Pirates._

Then, just as Cracker made that declaration, an object whizzed past his face, shocking the man. "What the hell was that?" He demanded angrily, looking out past the bow of the ship. "Someone hand me a telescope!"

Cracker was quickly handed a large telescope and looked out to see an archer on that small vessel waving at him with an extremely pleasant but also mocking smile on her face. It was now clear that the object from before had been an arrow. If Cracker could turn any redder with anger, he would have.

Meanwhile, on that very vessel, General Suiken had his face in his palm in sheer annoyance at the act of one of his Bronze Gates, the ace archer of Menou: Kyū. Kyū was a young-looking girl with shoulder length brown hair, green eyes a quiver strapped to her back, the blue and gold military blazer of Menou with two bronze epaulettes, a blue miniskirt, knee high socks, black shoes, and a large silver bow that was half her size.

Kyū, along with a few others, was a very unique case among Menou's elites. She actually did not have an Art to call her own. She was simply an incredibly skilled archer. Of course, this did not stop her. God help you if you ever tried to stop Kyū from doing anything. Once she set her mind to something, she was not going to stop until she did it. This included becoming an elite in Menou's army, and it was certainly possible. Not every Watcher was able to mold their Reiki into a particular Art. Sometimes, all they could manage was enhancing their own physical and mental abilities, along with whatever weapons they held. Kyū was one of these people. However, the girl was an extremely hard worker, and was hellbent on showing she could hang with those who could use Arts.

This drive and incredible talent with a bow and arrow was eventually noticed by Suiken, who recruited her personally into his forces as one of the Bronze Gates directly under his command. Each of the Arch Generals had four Bronze, Silver and Gold Gates that serve directly under them as their highest ranking officers and were undoubtably the best of the best behind the Arch Generals and the Saint Warriors. Kyū was one of these Gates. However, Suiken often wished he had realized how odd she was before recruiting her.

"Kyū," he tiredly addressed the girl, "why did you shoot an arrow at them? We haven't even boarded yet. I didn't even give you an order to notch and fire an arrow."

"To say hello, Boss." Kyū brightly replied as though there were nothing wrong with that answer. "I always say hello like that."

A messy, black-haired looking youth with horn-rimmed glasses rubbed the back of his head nervously, nodding in agreement at Kyū's statement. "It's true," said Hanta, the 'Trap Master' of Menou and one of the Bronze Gates, "she always says hello with arrows. Luckily, they're always aimed to miss."

Suiken heaved a sigh. "Remind me never to take her on diplomatic missions." He muttered to himself.

A cute, pigtailed girl with sandy blonde hair, eyes that perpetually sparkled (as in, they actually had a star pattern inside of them as pupils), and a uniform that was actually a sailor uniform instead of the usual military blazer—but still had the bronze epaulettes to signify her rank—giggled while twirling around. "Kyū is as Kyūte as always." Awami, another Bronze Gate, noted with a smile and an awful pun about her bestie's name.

A man with bronzed skin, big black hair as though he had placed a lot of product in it that made him look like a male model, and a military blazer that was slightly unbuttoned to show off his bronzed, muscular chest, was quick to try and upstage both Awami and Kyū with a pose that seemed to accentuate his handsomeness. "Perhaps Kyū is cute, but the question is, is she handsome, like yours truly?" Sendō, the vain but dedicated Bronze Gate of Suiken's army inquired.

A tomboyish, amazonian looking woman with short red hair, green eyes and armor that even looked amazonian and pressed against an impressive bust, bopped Sendō on the head with the flat end of her spear. "Women don't look cute, you dumb ass, they look beautiful. Men are handsome." Master spearman and Silver Gate, Kū, criticized Sendō.

A thuggish looking man with his crimson red hair in a pompadour and a blue biker's jacket with silver epaulettes, laughed. "And what would a mannish woman like you know about that, Kū?" Atsuki joked good-naturedly.

"Do you want to die, Atsuki?" Kū threatened.

"Bring it then, I need to warm up a little before I let loose on these guys." Atsuki noted as flames suddenly sprang up around his hands, only for them to be suddenly put out by the woman next to him. Atsuki freaked out when he noticed his hands had become blocks of ice.

A beautiful, white haired woman with golden eyes and the standard military blazer glared at Atsuki. "Cease your behavior, Atsuki, or I'll freeze your entire body next. We can definitely do this mission without you, you know." 'Winter Queen' Fuyumi told her longtime comrade, Atsuki.

"Oh come on Fuyumi, quit messing with me!" Atsuki yelled angrily. "Now thaw my damn hands out!"

"I was under the impression fire melted ice." Fuyumi pointed out. "Do it yourself, fool."

"WHAT?!" Atsuki screamed indignantly.

An older-looking fellow who had more of a veteran's face, compared to the previously mentioned group heaved a sigh at the antics of his fellow Gates. He had long blonde hair tied up in a ponytail, a goatee, brown eyes and a scimitar strapped to his hip. "As lively as always," The fourth Silver Gate, Sagan, muttered.

"They're young, Sagan." A man with hair that was purely silver, and not due to age, green eyes, and a standard military blazer with gold epaulettes, spoke up. "Young and enthusiastic, but also dedicated."

"You're more lenient than you let on, Gintarō," a shoulder-length lavender-haired man noted with a grin.

"The important thing is that in spite of their eccentricities, much like the Saint Warriors, they are dedicated patriots to the homeland, Yuto." Gintarō pointed out to his fellow Gold Gate.

"But right now, we do not give ourselves in service to our homeland." A large, completely bald man with grey eyes and a huge grin on his face. "Right now, we give ourselves in service to our allies. They're counting on us to be their heroes today. We can't let them down."

"Saizō is right." The final Gold Gate, the reclusive looking, dark haired individual with a heavy black poncho over his military blazer, known as Kuronuma. "Today we fight not for our home, but for those we must protect. It is a new feeling, akin to the darkness of the unknown. However, as warriors who have protected the universe from the shadows, it should not be something we are unfamiliar with."

"Okay, we get it Kuronuma," Yuto looked at Kuronuma in slight annoyance, "you love darkness, there's no reason to put on an act about it."

Kuronuma looked at Yuto in confusion. "Act?" He repeated, making his fellow Gold Gate gape in disbelief.

"Quiet down, all of you." Suiken could not help but sigh in exasperation at how he had somehow been unlucky to get such an odd bunch of elite soldiers. Then again, him, Fūgetsu, Raika and Chitsujo were arguably the only "sane" individuals in Menou's army. Even Tsuchimaru, brilliant military leader he was, was not exactly stable thanks to that incredibly hot temper of his.

"I get that you're all eager, but now's not the time to chat." Suiken pointed out to them. "As you can all see, we've sailed right into their fleet."

"Hi everyone!" Awami waved enthusiastically at the pirates that had moved to the sides of the ship to look out at their foes. "We'll be beating you all up today! You don't mind, right?"

"Please don't do that, Awami." Fuyumi muttered.

"Nah, it's only fair they know what's about to happen to 'em." Kū pointed out. "I'm with His Majesty on this one. They scared a lot of good folks in Dressrosa with this stunt. We need to teach 'em a lesson."

"Well, I'm glad we're all on the same page." Suiken admitted.

"Leave these waters now, unless you want to die!" A pirate suddenly yelled.

"It doesn't look like they're on the same page as us though." Yuto pointed out.

"Then let's make them understand." Suiken told them. "Everyone, spread out."

And so, thirteen figures leapt onto various ships in Cracker's fleet, ready to do some damage…

Meanwhile, the other small vessel neared the Mammoth, the flagship of Jack the Drought. General Fūgetsu wiped the sweat from her brows. "Well, that was a nice warmup," she said of the cannonballs that had been fired upon her vessel earlier.

A blonde haired man with his blazer completely open, showing off his abs and pecs, grinned at Fūgetsu's statement. "No need to try and soften the blow and make 'em feel better about themselves, Chief." Bronze Gate Riku said to her. "We all know that wasn't enough to count as a warmup for you."

A white haired boy with blue eyes chuckled nervously at Riku's statement. "Yeah," said Tomoyuki, younger brother of Fuyumi and a user of the Art: Snow, "the general's so strong, it's scary sometimes."

A boisterous looking man with spiky red hair and brown eyes, wearing a military blazer with the sleeves torn off to show off his biceps, laughed at Tomoyuki's statements. "Tomo, your big sister should've taught you this by now," Bronze Gate, Kanji criticized his fellow Gate in a good-natured manner, "women do not like being called scary. Here's how you address women."

Kanji then addressed his good friend and fellow bronze gate, a purple-haired woman in twin-tails and a blue and gold dress that made her look like a pop idol. "Riseko," he said, "I'm counting on you today! You're going to do great!"

Riseko smiled brightly. "As are you, Kanji." She said. "Our combined powers are going to show 'em."

A Silver Gate, who was dressed like a ninja in blue, shook his head at the behavior of the Bronze Gates. "So damn loud." 'Vanisher' Kōga complained.

A strange looking girl with orange eyes, and spring-like brown hair that curled all over the place, giggled at Kōga's complaints. "We may be soldiers, but we're still people, Kōga." Hitomi told her fellow Silver Gate. "Let them show their excitement. It pumps up the rank and file, too…even though they're not here this time."

A man with multiple scars on his face and buzzed blonde hair remained silent. Iwamoto, the Golem and another Silver Gate, was simply focused on the task ahead of him.

Luckily, Ikazuchi, the last of the Silver Gates under Fūgetsu's command, and had tremendously spiky, electric blue hair that looked almost like bolts of lightning, had enough energy and loudness for the both of them. "I'm ready to give 'em all hell." He promised. "The people of Dressrosa were super nice to us! I'll fight for them!"

An elderly looking martial artist with a large, grey beard with his blazer's sleeves torn off like Kanji's, nodded. "The true worth of a warrior is what he is willing to give in the service of those who cannot fight for themselves." The wise Gold Gate known as Gōken said wisely. "Let us show our worth."

An incredibly fat man with green hair nodded in agreement as he continued to munch on his bag of snacks. Gold Gate Tabe may not look like it, but he was ready to give his all as well. After his twentieth bag of snacks, of course.

Next, a man with dark purple hair that was slicked all the way back with black eyes that honestly looked a bit intimidating. In fact, with the way he behaved sometimes, you would think he was a villain. However, Kumo, another Gold Gate, was just as dedicated a soldier of Menou as the rest of them. He was just…well…

"Let's show them what Hell looks like." Kumo licked his lips in anticipation, ready for battle.

…He was something of a sadist.

In stark contrast to Kumo's sadism was the pure-hearted Hikari, the last of the Gold Gates under General Fūgetsu. A girl who was beautiful on the outside and on the inside. She had a shrine maiden look to her, wearing a blue and gold haori and a blue hakama. She had long dark hair that reached her back and beautiful blue eyes.

"To go to this amount of trouble just for revenge, and to torment innocent people as well. It all seems so pointless." Hikari lamented. "The thought upsets me…but those who seek death and destruction often cannot be reasoned with."

"Those who seek peace must always be prepared for war. One of many lessons we must take from our glorious Founding Emperor, Emperor Kaishi." Fūgetsu reminded her troops as her vessel neared the Mammoth, which was strangely quiet. "Now, it is time we do our part for the sake of peace."

"It's…a bit quiet up there." Tomoyuki noted.

"Well, they did give up on shooting at us." Riku pointed out. "They're probably waiting for us."

"Let's not keep them waiting then." Fūgetsu stated.

And so, thirteen soldiers leapt onto the Mammoth, confronting Jack's entire crew. Fūgetsu then gave her foes a wry smile. "Greetings, I'm Arch General Fūgetsu," Fūgetsu introduced herself to the Beasts Pirates, "and you folks are trespassing in waters under the control of the Allied Forces and the Kingdom of Menou."

"So," Fūgetsu continued, "who among you is in charge? Out of respect for my king, I'd like to give you the opportunity to be smarter than your boss, Kaido, and end this peacefully."

At that moment, Jack the Drought stepped forward. Riku whistled in appreciation. "So, that's the Billion Beri Man, Jack himself," Riku mused.

"He's…big." Tomoyuki noted.

"Mmm, and it's the big ones that fall the hardest, Tomo." Kumo pointed out, gleeful at the thought of causing Jack pain.

"A pleasure to meet you, Jack." Fūgetsu greeted Jack. "So what do you say? This could be your chance to take your place as captain of the Beasts Pirates by being a little bit smarter than Kaido. All you have to do is be smart and end this peacefully. We'll fight if we have to. And believe me, we're more than willing to, and that's why I think it'd be in your best interest to be smart and leave."

When a tactician stepped out onto the battlefield personally, they could disrupt armies themselves with those big, beautiful brains of their's. Maybe all war is based on deception, but to Fūgetsu, war was also based on disruption. Disrupt activities, disrupt unity, disrupt anything that could be useful to the enemy and you have the advantage.

"Peace?" Jack looked disgusted at the very thought. "Do things peacefully? I refuse!"

Fūgetsu heaved a sigh as a wall of weapons was pointed at her and her troops. "Well, the gods know I tried." She mused. "Okay guys, go crazy."

Fūgetsu then pointed her naginata at Jack. "As for you," she said, "it's only right that the two bosses meet each other in single combat."

Jack scowled and directed the Pleasures to attack the thirteen soldiers. "Riseko, Kanji," Fūgetsu said simply, knowing they would know what she wanted from them.

The two soldiers stepped forward. "You ready, Kanji?" Riseko inquired.

"Of course," Kanji grinned, "I hope you warmed up those pipes of yours."

Riseko nodded, and with that, she surprised the Pleasures when she opened her mouth and began to sing. It was a very upbeat tone, it could almost be mistaken for a show tune. "What…what is she doing?" A Pleasure inquired.

Suddenly, the Pleasures were surprised by a sudden burst of Reiki from Kanji. "That's Riseko's Art: Music," Kanji explained, "she can sing various songs to have various effects on her targets. Paired with a guy like me, it can be one half of a powerful weapon."

Kanji's Reiki became visible, colored gold. "You see, that's because my Art is Emotion," Kanji explained, "I gain various power-ups from various kinds of emotions. And guess what, that song she's singing, is a song that induces happiness!"

Kanji sped into the crowd with the biggest smile on his face. "And happiness fills me with such energy, I just can't help but run about like a maniac!"

"Happy Meteor!" Kanji yelled as he sped through the crowd of Pleasures, sending them into the air with powerful blows.

"It's not much of a power if we kill the singer!" A Pleasure pointed out as Riseko was quickly surrounded.

Riseko stopped singing and smiled. "That is where you're wrong," she said as she began to sing a different tune.

The Pleasures surrounding Riseko all froze in place. The tragic lyrics of love and loss rang in their ears, and they all immediately collapsed to their knees and began to sob uncontrollably.

Fūgetsu smirked. "Riseko's not defenseless you idiots," she said, "no self-respecting soldier of Menou leaves themselves defenseless. Her power is arguably the most useful in my army. It fires up our forces, and destroys the morality of our enemies."

 _At least ones that lack strong wills._ Fūgetsu added inwardly.

Meanwhile, Riku revealed his own talent: a mastery of martial arts. Much like Kū and Kyū, Riku lacked the ability to use an Art, but his martial arts were among the best in Menou. "Come on," Riku said to them as he uppercutted one Pleasure into the air, "put a bit more effort into this, fellas. You're bosses aren't exactly willing to protect you, so the least you can do is be able to stand on your own."

"Riku, these people have no pride." Gōken told his student, a master martial artist himself. "Men like these only wish to survive and thrive without actually putting in any effort themselves."

Gōken demonstrated by punching a Gifter hard enough to knock him right into Pleasures like they were bowling pins. "Yeah, you're right, Sensei," Riku said to his master, "just pisses me off, that's all. These guys have no pride, no conviction. A warrior that fights without conviction is doomed to lose eventually."

"That's right," Gōken nodded, chopping another Gifter in the back of the neck.

Meanwhile, Tomoyuki took a deep breath as he prepared to take on the Pleasures. "Big Sister may not be watching, but I need to give it my best anyway." He said as the temperature began to drop around him.

Tomoyuki suddenly felt a surge of confidence rush through him. It sped through his body like a violent blizzard.

Speaking of blizzards, Tomoyuki swung his arms out in front of him, creating a sudden deluge of snow that blew right into the Pleasures, blowing them off their feet and all the way off the Mammoth. "Rushing Blizzard!" He yelled.

Tomoyuki smiled. "It's…actually too bad Big Sister is not here." He admitted. "I've gotten stronger."

Meanwhile, the four Silver Gates under the command of Fūgetsu stepped forward. Kōga suddenly vanished, revealing his Art: Permeation. He could make himself completely transparent, perfect for sneak attacks and assassinations. Then, before any of the nearby Gifters could react, one's face contorted as though they had just been punched.

A Gifter with crab claws swung about, trying to strike at the invisible Kōga. "Okay, that's enough," Hitomi spoke up as her arm suddenly unravelled into strings and then wrapped around the claws of the Gifter.

Hitomi's Art was Strings, it allowed her to unravel her body into strings for offensive and defensive purposes, and even to restrain enemies. "Here we go, Human Morning Star!" Hitomi yelled as she used her new weapon to bash other foes.

Ikazuchi and Iwamoto both began their own assaults. "So, Iwamoto," Ikazuchi addressed his comrade as electricity crackled around his body, "what do you think will get the most points? My offense, or your defense?"

Iwamoto remained silent as his body was suddenly encased in rock, revealing his Art to be Golem, the power to transform his body into an armored giant of rock. Just as he had done so, a Gifter with bear claws swung his claws in an attempt to strike Iwamoto, only for his hands to break, attacking the man. Iwamoto then head-butted the Gifter, knocking him out.

Ikazuchi pouted. "Showoff," he muttered before turning his attention to more Gifters, "well, whatever, that's only one point. I'm about to get five!"

"Here's my Art: Electrocution!" Ikazuchi revealed as he was suddenly propelled forward by bolts of lightning.

Ikazuchi held his hand out. A large amount of lightning gathered around it. He then sped through the group of Gifters, blasting them all away in one attack. "Electro Spear!" He yelled.

Ikazuchi then landed and grinned at the beaten Gifters. "Awesome, right?" He said in a somewhat mocking tone before turning his attention to Iwamoto. "What do you think of that, Iwamoto? Can you beat that?"

Iwamoto silently gazed at Ikazuchi before turning to look for new enemies. Ikazuchi gasped. "That's cold, dude!" He yelled, waving his arms about frantically as though he were flapping his 'wings.'

This left the three remaining Gold Gates. What were they up to? Well, first we go to the sadistic Kumo, who was speeding through crowds of Gifters, palming each and every one of them. He then broke through the crowd and snapped his fingers. "Game over, boys." He said.

At that moment, every Gifter felt a loss of control of their body. They then noticed strange stigmata on their bodies, the same spots where Kumo had touched them. "Poison Stigmata," Kumo grinned cruelly at them, "nasty, right? Those stigmata release neurotoxins into your body that causes your neurological functions to fail."

At that moment, each Gifter collapsed, unable to move. "That's right," Kumo laughed with a sadistic gleam in his eyes, "helpless and unable to move. Just the way I like it."

"There is nothing I love more than fighting people like you who think you're all that, and taking you down a notch." Kumo declared. Kumo may have been a sadist, but he was a sadist with morals. That sadism was only reserved for those he deemed arrogant and drunk on their own power. He would never turn his torture on innocents.

His fellow Gold Gate, Tabe, shivered slightly at Kumo's sadism. "He's so damn creepy sometimes." Tabe muttered. "I'm glad he's on our side."

Tabe was then struck in the stomach by a praying mantis arm. He then looked down at it, uncaringly. Then at the Gifter who was starting to gaze in fright at the big man. Tabe then grinned and raised his arm in the air. At that moment, much to the Gifter's surprise, Tabe suddenly lost a bit of weight. His arm then became more muscular. This was his Art: Calorie Conversion. He could convert the calories he consumes into power. Consume enough calories and he could match an Arch General, and even knock down a Saint Warrior for a brief period of time.

"Diet Cross!" Tabe yelled, throwing a powerful punch that knocked the Gifter across the Mammoth.

Finally, Hikari confronted the Headliner of the Gifters: Sheepshead, along with his comrade, Ginrummy. Hikari then respectfully bowed to both individuals. "Today, I shall be your opponent." She said. "Fair warning, you will lose to me."

Sheepshead looked at Hikari in confusion for a brief moment generating his ram horns in place of his hands. "I don't know where you get off making that kind of declaration, but I'm more than happy to show you that you're wrong, lady." He said. "Think of it as your last lesson before you die."

"Damn straight," Ginrummy growled as she drew her katana, "you're not facing off against those damn rejects, bitch, you're facing the Gifter's Headliner, and me, Ginrummy!"

Hikari sighed sadly. "Is that really how you view your own men?"

"They're just a bunch of losers who needed artificial Devil Fruits from the underworld." Sheepshead pointed out, a bit hypocritically because he also consumed a SMILE Devil Fruit. "Of course they're rejects. Lord Kaido's dream is to create the best army of Devil Fruit users in the world. We're giving rejects the opportunity to be something of worth."

"What is worth? Is it really something that can be determined through something like strength? Or is someone's worth determined what they choose to do with the precious life they have been given?" Hikari wondered out loud as she clapped her hands together. "Divine Flash!"

At that moment, a blinding flash of light blinded Ginrummy and even forced Sheepshead to take a few steps back, even though he was wearing sunglasses. What a shock, the girl named Hikari could use light as her power. She then formed a sphere of light in her hand and tossed it in between the stunned Sheepshead and Ginrummy. "Scattered Light!" She yelled as the sphere exploded into smaller beams of light that struck both of her foes.

Ginrummy was quickly knocked out by the attack, but Sheepshead managed to remain standing. His vision was blurry, but he was still hellbent on striking down this woman. "Sheep's Horn!" Sheepshead yelled, charging forward, intent on impaling Hikari with his horns.

Hikari was then surrounded by light and sped into the air, avoiding Sheepshead's attacks with ease. Sheepshead was then enveloped in a bright light, much to his horror as he realized what was about to happen. "Oh no…" he muttered.

"Holy Ray Impact!" Hikari yelled as the light slammed into Sheepshead with enough force that pushed him through the deck of the Mammoth and to the bottom floor of the ship.

"Master Sheepshead!" Worried Gifters yelled for their Headliner.

Hikari landed on the ground and bowed in respect for her fallen foe. At the bottom of the ship, Sheepshead was sprawled on his back with his mouth wide open, beaten and knocked unconscious. "My worth," she said, "shall be determined by how many people who's lives I've touched through my service when I leave this world. I shall be the light for all who need it."

Finally, Fūgetsu and Jack confronted each other. The two stared each other down as Jack revealed his two blades. "So you're really their boss?" He demanded.

"I did say I was," Fūgetsu pointed out, "I am Arch General Fūgetsu of the Menou Army. Now, prepare to be defeated, Jack the Drought."

"I am a pirate worth 1 Billion Beris." Jack declared. "And you are nothing."

Fūgetsu smirked as a green aura appeared around her body. Her eyes then turned completely green. Her body had transformed completely. She was now unleashing the power of Fūjin from her own body. " _You_ are a big fish in a small pond." She said, her voice somewhat distorted from unleashing the soul of Fūjin. "Let me show you how small that pond really is."

While Fūgetsu began her clash with Jack, Suiken's troops began their rampage across Charlotte Cracker's fleet. And it was going just as well. Maximum destruction and plenty of screaming soldiers, shocked at the strength of their foes.

Awami bounced about on what appeared to be bubbles floating above her foes. She held her hand out as though she were about to blow a kiss and blew, creating a large bubble that floated to a crowd of Chess Soldiers. Awami then snapped her finger. "Popped Bubble!" She yelled as the bubble quickly ruptured, blasting the Chess Soldiers with the force of the burst.

This was indeed her Art: Bubbles. Awami could manipulate bubbles for a variety of purposes. She then heard the sound of a crane cawing and turned to see a very odd sight. It was a rabbit with a pole-arm riding a crane. It was Crane Rider Randolph, a rabbit Homie under the command of the Big Mom Pirates.

"Aww, you're cute." Awami squealed, gleeful at the sight of a bunny rabbit.

Randolph aimed his bladed pole-arm at Awami. "Oh, right," Awami immediately was all business as she leapt from her current bubbly platform, "you're my enemy."

Randolph stabbed at Awami, only to find his pole arm suddenly stuck in a giant bubble generated by Awami. "Bouncy Bubble!" Awami yelled as the bubble bounced Randolph and his crane away from her, right into her trap.

"Bye bye, Mr. Rabbit!" Awami waved at Randolph as she snapped her fingers. "Popped Bubble!"

A bubble beneath Randolph and his crane ruptured, sending the two flying into more of Awami's trap. Her platforms were not just platforms, they were also her next attack. "Chain Explosion!" Awami concluded as more bubbles burst, sending Randolph and his crane flying into every single bubble.

Awami gracefully landed on the ground and flashed a double peace sign in victory while Randolph and his crane both landed on the ground, beaten easily by Awami's surprisingly clever tactics.

Kyū watched as her best friend took down a rabbit on a crane while perched safely on the bow of the ship. She then notched another arrow onto her bow. "Take aim," she pulled her bowstring back, "and fire!"

Kyū let the arrow fly through a large crowd of Chess Soldiers. Amazingly, because it was enhanced by Reiki, it blasted through a large portion of the crowd before coming to a stop. "Just because I don't have a flashy Art like the others, doesn't mean I can't hurt you guys." Kyū pointed out. "No matter who it is, an elite soldier of Menou will never lose to a bunch of thugs."

Kyū says that, but when one took a look at Hanta, who looked incredibly nervous in the face of a crowd of Chess Soldiers, they would not believe it. And then, he decided on his usual battle strategy. Adjusting his glasses, he gave the soldiers a confident smirk. "Fools," he said, "I have a secret weapon for this exact kind of situation."

The Chess Soldiers were all on guard. "Here we go, Hanta Secret Technique…"

The Chess Soldiers prepared for a devastating attack. Hanta then pivoted on his leg 180 degrees. "Strategic Retreat!" Hanta yelled, running away from the Chess Soldiers.

"He's a freaking coward!" The soldiers all screamed in shock.

"Get back here you coward!" The soldier in the lead yelled in anger as they pursued Hanta.

Hanta heaved a sigh as he retreated from his foes. "Yeah, I'm a coward," he admitted, "I don't have the heart for combat like the others do. Fighting guys who can destroy cities and even countries scare the hell out of me."

Hanta then turned around, stopped running, and took a deep breath. "But I'm still a soldier of Menou." He declared. "So…I'll do my part no matter what!"

The soldiers then reached a certain point and were suddenly blown up. "That was my Explosive Trap." He said as he leapt back from the blast, then bracing himself with his hands on the deck, revealing his Art: Trap. By channeling Reiki through his body and into any object he touches, he can set various traps for his enemies.

Then, Hanta was surrounded by the crocodile Homie, Noble Croc, and Big Mom Pirates combatant, Diesel. Hanta almost leapt into the air in fright. "Try that stunt with us, kid and you'll regret it, shuppoppoppo." Diesel said as he prepared to sprint towards the young-looking man.

Noble Croc licked his lips, wanting to take a big chomp on Hanta. Hanta gave them all nervous glances. "Can't we talk this over?" Hanta nervously inquired.

"Let's get 'em, Croc!" Diesel yelled as the two rushed Hanta.

Hanta shrieked at their attacks. He then remembered something. "Oh, er, I wouldn't actually step their if I were you guys." He told them.

"Huh?" Diesel looked at Hanta in confusion both he and Noble Croc were suddenly enveloped in a tower of flames. The traps had been set when he placed his hands on the deck at his sides.

When the flames let up, Croc and Diesel both fell on their backs, knocked out by Hanta's Fire Trap. Hanta rubbed his head sheepishly. "Umm…sorry, I tend to forget things when I panic." He admitted.

Meanwhile, on another ship, Sendō began to pose. "You cannot deny my beauty, friends." He said. "Look upon my splendor, speak of my handsomeness, and I will knock you out quickly and painlessly."

Sendō then sensed the presence of a foe who was far more powerful than the Chess Soldiers who were both frightened and baffled by him. The "Sweeper," Bobbin, a "Bishop" combatant of the Big Mom Pirates, gave Sendō what appeared to be a sickening grin to him, because of how ugly the man was. "You're real weird, you know that?" Bobbin noted.

Sendō glared at Bobbin. "And you are difficult to look at." He said. "But you know, you're not just hideous on the outside, you're hideous on the inside."

Bobbin bobbed his head to the side. "Boyo?" He inquired in confusion.

Sendō dramatically pointed at Bobbin. "Do not think your crimes are unknown to us, Big Mom Pirates?" He inquired. "My comrades think me a narcissist. But you know, better a narcissist than a mass murderer. Your crimes are truly hideous! You burn down countries for the pettiest of reasons! Ugly and unforgivable! I will never forgive you for staining this world with your actions!"

"Okay, I think you need to shut up now." Bobbin told him as he started bobbing his head from side to side. "Boyoyoyoyoyon!"

At that moment, rays were emanated from Bobbin towards Sendō. Almost immediately, Sendō fell asleep on his feet. The Chess Soldiers grinned with triumph. "Way to go, Master Bobbin!" The soldiers cheered.

Bobbin stopped bobbing and grinned. "Boyoyon," he laughed, "the fool let his guard down."

Bobbin drew a pistol and aimed it straight at Sendō's face. He then walked up to the man and shot him point blank in the face, knocking him onto his back. "He's dead!" The soldiers cheered triumphantly.

Bobbin chuckled and turned away from Sendō's body. "All talk and no action." He said as he emptied his pistol into Sendō's blood. "Come on, let's go take care of the other intruders."

The Chess Soldiers grinned and ran to take down the other intruders on their ships. Then, just when Bobbin took a few steps away, he heard the sounds of movement behind him. _What?_

Bobbin looked over his shoulder to see that Sendō was standing and alive. He was also awake due to the rough landing he had just experienced. He then looked down to see flattened bullets falling to the ground. _The bullets flattened against his body so I didn't realize they failed!_ He thought, horrified.

"Tanned Fist!" Sendō yelled, punching Bobbin in the jaw, breaking his mask and driving him into the ground.

Bobbin shrieked for a brief moment before falling limp, knocked unconscious by Sendō's punch. Sendō glared down at Bobbin. "My Art tends to act unconsciously when I'm asleep." He said. "Because mentally, it is important for me to get eight hours of undisturbed sleep. So, whenever I'm asleep, I'm protected by my glorious Art: Copper!"

Sendō then straightened his body. "You will never mar my beauty, stupid pirate. Now sleep, and think about the sins you've committed."

Sendō then looked down at his clothes, which now had bullet holes and began to wail. "My clothes are ruined!"

On a different ship, after beating down several Chess Soldiers, Kū trained her spear on Charlotte Galette, the 18th Daughter of the Charlotte Family.

Galette smirked arrogantly as she suddenly generated strange fluids on her body and then manipulated them telekinetically to rise around her like tentacles. "So what if you've brought down our Chess Soldiers? Tell me, do you think you can do the same against a member of the Charlotte Family? Mama's blood runs through my veins you know."

Kū grinned. "Sound's good to me," she said, "the tougher the enemy the better!"

Galette sent the tentacle-like fluids at Kū, who easily cut them all in half with her spear. Galette chuckled as the halved fluids suddenly rose up around Kū and wrapped around her body, restraining her. "No offense, but I'm not into bondage." Kū admitted.

Galette scowled. "I'd stop your jokes if I were you." She said, reaching for a pistol. "Those fluids can render most foes immobile."

Kū frowned at Galette reaching for a pistol. "Seriously?" She asked. "You've got me immobilized like this and your next move is to reach for a gun? That is just sad."

"Huh?" Galette raised an eyebrow at this.

"Look, I've got nothing against the average person packing a weapon like that." Kū shrugged. "But someone with superpowers like you? Come on, have a bit more confidence in your abilities. Tighten your restraints and strangle me. Hell, shove these fluids down my throat and make me choke on 'em."

"That's what she said!" Atsuki suddenly shouted from all the way over on another ship, having heard Kū's statement.

"Shut up, Atsuki!" Kū angrily exclaimed.

"I don't have to take fighting advice from the enemy!" Galette exclaimed, grabbing the butt end of her pistol.

Kū sighed. "Well, I tried." She said as she suddenly flexed her amazonian-like muscles, breaking the fluids apart.

"HUH?" Galette yelled in surprise.

Kū smirked and used Vanishing Walk to escape the fluids that now surrounded her. "Stay back!" Galette yelled, drawing her pistol and firing.

Kū then cut the bullet in half with her spear, appearing right in front of Galette. She then pivoted and spun around, swinging her spear diagonally, striking Galette and sending her airborne.

Galette fell onto her back. She was then stepped on by Kū, who drove her spear right next to her face. Galette's eyes widened in fear when she felt the sheer killing intent behind Kū. "Don't. Move." Kū told her, deadly serious.

"Y-yes Ma'am," Galette nodded fearfully.

Meanwhile, on a different ship, Fuyumi found herself gazing at something rather odd: a completely perfect copy of herself. "You're not fooling anyone with this." Fuyumi told the copy, also taking note of the copy repeating her words at the exact same time. "I know when I'm dealing with a fake."

"Ah but knowing I'm a fake and knowing how to deal with said fake are two different things." The fake noted.

"Hmm," Fuyumi could not help but ponder this situation, noting that she had been forced to say what her duplicate had said, "let's test some things."

With that, Fuyumi and the fake leapt at each other at the same time. An ice gauntlet appeared around Fuyumi's right fist, along with the fake's. "Ice Breaker!" Fuyumi and the fake yelled in unison.

The two punched at each other. Their fists collided and the area between them immediately froze, encasing both their fists in ice. "Very interesting," Fuyumi noted, "so it's not that you're a copy, it's that we imitate each other's movements like a mirror."

"You've figured it out," the fake complimented, "so what will you do now? You can't beat me if I perfectly counter all of your moves as a reflection."

Fuyumi nodded and took in her surroundings for a brief moment. "I think I'll find a way," she said as she canceled out the ice around her, destroying her gauntlet as well.

She then leapt away from the fake, making the fake leap away as well. She then generated an ice spike in her left hand. Then, Fuyumi tossed it to the side, seemingly nowhere. "What was that supposed to do?" The fake demanded.

Fuyumi just smiled. The fake growled in frustration as she generated an ice spike and ran towards Fuyumi, forcing Fuyumi to run towards the fake. Then, when the fake was at a certain point, Fuyumi made her move. She suddenly made a sideways motion with two fingers, confusing the fake. Then, the fake heard the sound of movement and looked to see a large ice spike gaining ground towards her. "Huh?" She yelled in surprise before she was suddenly struck across the stomach by the ice spike.

Fuyumi gritted her teeth as she was whipped about by the impact like the fake before giving a smirk. "Your reflection power is impressive, but you're also completely unaware of your surroundings." She claimed.

The fake looked to where the ice spike had come from and gasped. It was buried in the mast of the ship. It was the one Fuyumi had tossed seemingly nowhere. "Unlike the ice spike you created, I actually had somewhere to throw mine. Then, once you stepped right into my trap, I manipulated it to grow by freezing more of the moisture around it, striking you while you were unaware."

At that moment, the fake began to crack, and then shattered, revealing a witch-like woman, glaring at Fuyumi. "Unbelievable, you actually destroyed my reflection!" Charlotte Brûlée, the 8th Daughter of the Charlotte Family noted in sheer disbelief. "No one's ever done that before!"

"Any of my comrades could've figured out a counter to your power if given enough time." Fuyumi noted. "It may seem threatening on the surface, but it's also extremely easy to figure out if you actually put in the effort to think."

Brûlée glared at Fuyumi. "Let me make something clear, you're not dealing with the average pirate thug who wants to make a name for himself by daring to attack Big Mom's territory." Fuyumi reminded the woman. "You face the Winter Queen, Fuyumi. Silver Gate of Menou's Army. You were never at my level."

Fuyumi then froze some of the moisture in front of her, creating several floating ice spikes. "Falling Icicles!" Fuyumi yelled, launching the large spikes at Brûlée.

"Yeah, so what about your ice?" Brûlée yelled. "So what about your rank and power? The Charlotte Family won't lose, no matter what!"

Brûlée then generated a mirror in her hands. "Reflection!" She yelled as some of the icicles entered the mirror. "Let's see how the 'Winter Queen' likes her own attack!"

Fuyumi watched as the Reflection fired back some of the Falling Icicles at her. Fuyumi easily leapt to the side, avoided the attack and fired more Falling Icicles at Brûlée while subtly tapping her foot on the deck.

Brûlée grinned and trained her Reflection attack on the Falling Icicles. "Oh what's wrong, you don't have a plan this time?" She taunted as she reflected the icicles back at Fuyumi again.

Fuyumi held her hand up. "Winter Shield!" She yelled, creating a barrier of ice in front of her, blocking the icicles.

"Wiwiwiwiwi!" Brûlée laughed. "Where's all that pride now, Winter Queen? I don't give a damn about your strength or your reputation, you won't beat me, and your kingdom won't beat my family either!"

Fuyumi sighed and then gestured to the deck at Brûlée's feat. The witch-like woman looked down and gasped in horror as ice suddenly enveloped her feet. It had been created when Fuyumi had tapped the ground with her foot. She had created aline of ice that moved towards Brûlée, latched onto her, and was now slowly freezing her over.

"Like I told you," Fuyumi said, "your power seems threatening, but it's very easy to fight. Next time you talk about pride, you might want to—oh, I don't know— _look in a mirror_."

"You bitch!" Brûlée snarled as she was frozen over completely by Fuyumi's power.

Fuyumi heaved a somewhat irritated sigh. "Atsuki needs to be beaten up again." She noted. "It's his fault I'm taunting my enemies like this."

Fuyumi then turned her attention to the frightened Chess Soldiers. "And now, for good measure." She said, stomping the deck. "Ice Rink!"

And so, within seconds, the entire deck of the ship froze along with all the Chess Soldiers. One, however, was spared the widespread attack by standing at the helm. However, he looked like he was about to collapse in utter fright. "What the hell is with these people?" He muttered. "They're not human! They're freaking monsters!"

Since Fuyumi brought up Atsuki earlier, how about we check in with him next. He was currently staring up at a giant of a man. Atsuki immediately grinned. "Badass," he said, "I love punching outside my weight class. I especially love it when the guy's working with some real jackasses."

Charlotte Opera, the 5th Son of the Charlotte Family looked at Atsuki in confusion. "You wouldn't say such things if you weren't confident you could win, fa." Opera noted. "And considering what seems to be happening around us, perhaps you do have a reason to be confident."

Atsuki laughed. "Well what do you know," he said, "we've actually got someone smart in our midst. Seriously, did no one among you think: 'oh, maybe threatening an island with a potential enemy who's strength is unknown is a bad idea?'"

Opera frowned. "It's not our place to question Mama, fa." Opera admitted. "My naive younger siblings may not understand this, but the elders do. Mama loves us, but that won't stop her from hurting us if we do anything to displease her. And Mama decided to invade Dressrosa. We simply follow orders."

Atsuki rubbed his finger in his ear. "Huh? I'm sorry, I didn't catch that." He mocked. "All I heard was: 'excuses, excuses, blah blah blah, please sympathize with me.'"

"You're still taking part in this crap." Atsuki glared at him. "If your heart tells you not to do something, don't do it. Nothing pisses me off more than jackasses like you who won't take responsibility for your actions, orders or not."

Opera scowled. "Following and thinking with your heart means you're not thinking at all, fa." Opera noted. "Logic is the only thing that can guarantee survival on the seas."

Atsuki just smirked. "Yeah, well I've never been logical. Just ask Fuyumi. We've known each other for years, so she can confirm it with no bias whatsoever."

Cream was suddenly generated around Opera's lower half, enveloping it completely. They then formed tentacles, giving him an appearance akin to a giant squid. "Oh, we're fighting now?" Atsuki grinned. "Aren't you supposed to be _logical_?"

Opera frowned and struck. "Cream Monster!" He yelled, assaulting Atsuki with the tentacles.

Atsuki grinned and braced himself for the impact as he was slammed by the cream. "And now, by increasing the sweetness, you will burn, FA!" Opera yelled.

"Oh, you want to burn me?" This interested Atsuki as Opera did just that.

A few moments passed as Opera increased the sweetness of his cream in an attempt to burn Atsuki. However, after those few moments, the cream man gaped in surprise. "Why aren't you screaming?"

"Well, I was wondering when the burning started." Atsuki admitted. "Or is what you're doing all you've got?"

Opera retracted his tentacles and then whipped them at Atsuki. "Whipped Cream!" Opera yelled, attempting to assault Atsuki with blunt force this time.

Atsuki sighed and easily weaved his body around the attacks without even moving his legs. "Ah damn," he said, "I guess that is all you've got. That's too bad, that heat you were using to try to burn me…"

Atsuki's entire body was suddenly enveloped in flames, burning away Opera's Whipped Cream attack. "…Wouldn't even singe my eyebrows off!" Atsuki declared.

Opera was taken aback by Atsuki's sudden burst of power. "A fire user?!" He exclaimed.

Atsuki formed a ball of fire in his hand. "I think _logic_ states you run now, Creamy." Atsuki taunted as he brought his hand back. "Flame Comet!"

Atsuki tossed the fireball straight into Opera's chest, sending the man sailing off his feet, with the fireball digging into him. Atsuki turned around, not even bothering to watch the carnage. "Game over." He held his thumb down as the fireball exploded with Opera.

Opera's mouth fell open in a silent scream as his blackened body fell to the ground in a heap, bested by Atsuki in one shot.

Meanwhile, on a different ship, Sagan looked around to find himself surrounded by floating books, courtesy of his opponent, Charlotte Mont-d'Or, the 19th Son of the Charlotte Family. Sagan then demonstrated the intelligence needed to understand the other worlds. "You must be the Scribe." Sagan noted as his foe floated before him on two large books.

Mont-d'Or grinned arrogantly. "So, across the universe, my name is known?" He noted. "How nice, won't my Mama be so proud when she hears that."

One of Mont-d'Or's books then floated above Sagan and opened up. At that moment, Sagan found himself transported into a strange town that twisted and turned about like a hellish wonderland. "Welcome to the World of Books," came Mont-d'Or's voice, "I hope you like it, because you're going to stay here."

Sagan looked around for a moment. "You really can't expect me to stay here," Sagan noted, "No, I simply won't stay here."

Sand then suddenly rose up around Sagan. "I'm going to break out of this town, sorry." He said. "Sand Twister!"

At that moment, a massive tornado of sand rose up and tore apart the town of illusions. Then, much to the shock of Mont-d'Or, the Sand Twister destroyed the book keeping him trapped in the World of Books, ripping it page from page right down to the cover. Mont-d'Or gaped in disbelief. In all his years, he had never seen someone escape from the World of Books by destroying a book.

 _This may be harder than I originally thought._ He admitted as two books opened up at his side.

"How about a little fire and lightning then!" Mont-d'Or declared. "A Story of Flames, and a Story of Storms!"

Sagan watched as lightning and flames were fired from the books. He then calmly generated sand from his body and fired two streams of sand at Mont-d'Or's Story of Flames and Story of Storms, canceling both attacks out. "The sands of time run dry for all of us eventually." Sagan noted. "Today is not that day for you. But, that doesn't mean you can't face some well-deserved punishments for your transgressions, Scribe."

Sagan fired a larger stream of sand at Mont-d'Or. "I don't think so, the Big Mom Pirates are exempt from all punishments." Mont-d'Or claimed. "That's what it means to be the mightiest on the seas."

Another book appeared. "Song of the Seas!" Mont-d'Or yelled, generating water from the book.

Sagan frowned slightly as the water stopped his sand dead in its tracks. His Art: Sand, was like any other sand; weak against water. Mont-d'Or was craftier than he gave him credit for. Then again, sand was an easy thing to fight against. However, what set Sagan apart was how crafty he was. Slowly, he was moving particles of sand below Mont-d'Or. The direct approach was not always needed. Sometimes, subtly was the key.

Then, the sand rose up and wrapped around Charlotte Mont-d'Or's body, creating what appeared to be a giant suit of armor that made him fall off the books he was standing on and onto the ground. "Sand Wrap," Sagan revealed, generating more sand above Mont-d'Or and molding it into what appeared to be a giant weight. "and Sand Impact!"

And with that, Sagan dropped the Sand Impact on Mont-d'Or, shattering the deck below him and sending him below deck, defeating him and knocking him unconscious. Sagan turned away from the unconscious Mont-d'Or. "If you are the strongest in the seas, then write this down, dear Scribe, the Kingdom of Menou is the strongest in the _universe_."

Meanwhile, Charlotte Compote, the eldest daughter of the Charlotte Family collapsed, filled with several holes. Yuto sighed. "Sorry about that," he apologized, "you're probably hurting all over, but that's just what happens when you have an Art called Bullet."

Strangely, even though his Art was designed for killing, Yuto was not, by any means, a killer. He exercised tremendous restraint as a Gold Gate because of how violent his Art was. In fact, he often aimed to incapacitate instead of kill. Ironically, even though his Art was Bullet, which fired bullets made of Reiki, he had the one of the lowest kill counts among Menou's elite officers. He fought to deescalate situations, not escalate.

Several Chess Soldiers bravely charged Yuto. Speaking of deescalating…

Yuto spun around and tossed a ball of Reiki that quickly burst about like a shotgun shell. "Aura Buckshot!" Yuto yelled as the Chess Soldiers were blasted away.

He then leaned his head to the side, avoiding a sniper's bullet. He then nonchalantly pointed a finger at the sniper. "Aura Bullet," He fired a single bullet of Reiki that took out the sniper.

Yuto blew on his finger. "Anyone else want to test me?" He inquired of anyone who was listening. "I don't like shooting people, but I will if I have to."

To Yuto, what separated soldiers and warriors from killers was their reluctance to hurt people and even take a life if necessary. Killers had no issue with it, but no warriors and soldiers would always be concerned with the ramifications of such.

Meanwhile, Charlotte 'Demon Lady' Amande, the 3rd Daughter of the Charlotte Family, drew her Shirauo, a deadly nodachi and one of the famed Meito of the Pirate World. "When taking a life, it is pointless to make it quick and clean. The victim must feel every moment to understand they are dying."

"You're point?" Gintarō inquired.

"My point is that you will feel every moment of your death, invader." Amande told him.

"Invader? I believe you are labeling the wrong person such." Gintarō noted. "Aren't you the ones who are invading this territory?"

Amande ignored Gintarō's statement and leapt at him, intent on bisecting him from the bottom up. Then, suddenly, her blade was stopped by what appeared to be a silver-colored liquid. Amande watched in slight surprise as the silver liquid wrapped around her blade. _I can't move my Shirauo._ She noted.

"For the homeland," Gintarō muttered as silver tendrils rose up around him and slammed into Amande, pushing him away from her. Gintarō's Art was Mercury, a powerful Art that allowed him to manipulate Mercury for offensive and defensive purposes.

Amande dropped her nodachi for a moment before scooping it up to face Gintarō once again, only for the man to appear in front of her, via Vanishing Walk. Mercury then gathered around Gintarō's fist and hardened into a large gauntlet. "Solid Silver," he punched Amande with a powerful straight.

Amande's eyes widened as her calm, sadistic persona faded in favor of a woman who had just experienced pain for the first time in awhile. She managed to land on her feet, however, and prepared to strike at Gintarō once more. Amande feared few things. However, she did fear the pain she would suffer if she returned to Mama a failure. She must kill this man.

Before Amande's resolve could carry her any further, however, she was suddenly impaled by a line of mercury that shot right through her. It had moved so fast, she had not even seen it. The mercury had protruded from Gintarō's finger. "Quicksilver," he revealed the name of his powerful technique.

This was why Gintarō was a Gold Gate. He had speedy attacks like Quicksilver. He had powerful punches like Solid Silver. But most importantly, he had an amazing control over Mercury that was capable of both offensive and defensive purposes that even his fellow Gold Gates had trouble facing off against.

Amande coughed up blood as she collapsed, beaten by Gintarō. "Tell me," Gintarō turned away from her, "would you have preferred I drag _this_ out?"

Meanwhile, an incredibly bulky man with broad shoulders confronted Saizō. He was Charlotte Daifuku, the 3rd Son of the Charlotte Family and the Minister of Beans. Daifuku narrowed his eyes, gazing at the visibly damaged ships from his younger brother's fleet. Unlike many of his siblings, Daifuku was observant enough to know when things were going poorly. However, he still had no intention of backing down. He would simply punish his idiotic siblings for screwing this whole thing up after they all got back.

Daifuku grinned confidently at Saizō. "I'm not like my siblings," he said, "I'll crush you and anyone else who tries to get in the way of Mama's goals!"

A strange hatch then opened up in Daifuku's stomach. Smoke then poured out, revealing a dark spirit with a halberd. Saizō frowned slightly at Daifuku's choice of fighting. "Nice, huh," Daifuku bragged, "I ate the Puff Puff Fruit! I'm a Lamp Man!"

"So you're a walking Arabian Nights story." Saizō noted. "You shouldn't be so proud of your genie. It's not that impressive."

"Not that impressive?" Daifuku repeated. "You're a fool, any Devil Fruit can become a powerful weapon if used correctly!"

"Even if that is true," Saizō replied, "real men fight their foes directly, not hide behind something like this genie of yours."

"Let's see how you feel after this!" Daifuku yelled, directing his genie forward. "Genie Cutter!"

Daifuku's genie slammed its halberd downwards in an attempt to cleave Saizō in half. However, much to Daifuku's surprise, Saizō's hand suddenly increased in size to the point where it was the size of his entire upper body and grabbed the halberd, stopping the genie's Genie Cutter.

"This is my Art: Size." Saizō revealed. "I can grow any limb to tremendous sizes to increase my strength. It's simple, but much like your Devil Fruits, because it is used correctly, it is one of the finest Arts in all of Menou, earning me a sport as one of the Gold Gates."

Daifuku mentally commanded his genie to retreat from Saizō, only to realize that the genie could not retrieve his halberd. Saizō's grip was insanely strong.

Saizō then increased the size of his other hand. "Sized-Up Slap!" He yelled, slapping the genie across the head with enough force to knock it to the deck, making Daifuku's mouth drop open in disbelief.

"Your pathetic," Saizō said to Daifuku, "even if Menou has plenty of warriors who fight with summoning similar to yours, they fight alongside their summons. When you hide behind this genie of yours, you're admitting that you're a coward."

Daifuku shook in anger at being called a coward. "You're right, you're not like your siblings." Saizō noted as he increased the size of his foot and stomped the head of the genie. "At least your siblings had the courage to stand up against us directly."

"I have no time for someone like you." Saizō told him. "Take your genie and leave. This battlefield has no place for you."

"You son of a bitch," Daifuku growled, "why'd you have to come here? Why do you have to exist? Why can't you just leave well enough alone? The Big Mom Pirates…they're one of the strongest crews in the world…you've got no right taking that from us!"

Saizō shook his head. "Those assigned to watch over your world were right. You Emperor Crews have gotten way too comfortable in your seat of power." He mused. "To the point where you actually think you can just go and threaten a kingdom that has nothing to do with all of this."

Saizō exerted his Reiki to intimidate Daifuku. Saizō's aura had the added effect of creating an illusion of him in a much larger form, befitting the fact that he could increase his size at will.

Daifuku could only scream in fright at the sight of the giant as the real Saizō's legs increased in size. He then tossed the genie in the air and leapt forward, punching the genie and driving it right into the frozen Daifuku, who grunted in pain as he was struck by the weight of the genie and the force of Saizō's punch.

The trio streaked across the deck of Daifuku's ship _all the way to another ship_. The Chess Soldiers gasped in surprise as something was slammed into the rear of their ship. "What was that?" They wondered.

"More proof that you are outmatched." Saizō said, walking up to them.

The soldiers looked at Saizō in fear before looking at the object that had been knocked into the back of the ship. They then noticed something smoke-like seeping into its human body. They then screamed in horror when they realized it was a man they were very familiar with. "Lord Daifuku!" They screamed, horrified at the sight of the Charlotte Family's 3rd Son beaten form. The large man was sprawled out on his back.

Saizō folded his arms and frowned. "You probably think we're bad people for this beating you're all getting." He mused. "But just remember, none of this would be happening if you hadn't attacked Dressrosa first. We don't escalate a battle unless our foes force our hand."

Meanwhile, the 4th Son of the Charlotte Family, Charlotte Oven, the Minister of Browned Food, heated his body up to incredibly hot temperatures, courtesy of his Devil Fruit: the Heat Heat Fruit. "I don't know who you think you all are," Oven claimed, "but what you've done to the Big Mom Pirates and the Charlotte Family…it's all unforgivable!"

"Even if your rage is true, your words ring hollow," Oven's foe, the Gold Gate, Kuronuma replied, "you claim what _we've_ done is unforgivable, but tell me, why is it that you are unable to spare that same anger and courtesy towards those whose lives you intended to ruin if His Majesty did not bow to Big Mom's demands? Don't they deserve a bit of anger as well?"

Kuronuma then exerted his Reiki, revealing a black aura around him. "If you are going to show righteous rage, at least have some sort of morality you can stand upon."

Oven growled and leapt at Kuronuma. "Heat Overdrive!" Oven yelled, heating up his forearm and throwing a punch of tremendous power.

Kuronuma calmly held his hand out as darkness suddenly gathered around it. "Black Claw!" He yelled as a claw of pure darkness protruded from his hand, slamming into Oven and pushing him into the mast of the ship.

Kuronuma nodded. "You devoured the Heat Heat Fruit, making you a Baking Man, correct?" He inquired. "I have a friend who watches over your territories and he keeps me informed about current events and major players. You can increase your body temperature to incredible levels, to the point where physical attacks are actually discouraged because they can actually damage the attacker."

"Quite threatening, in fact, you'd be an issue for some of my allies who fight with their fists." Kuronuma admitted. "But that is why we fight together, instead of alone. So we can envelop all of you like darkness envelops the land."

"Speaking of darkness, as you can see, that is what my Art is." Kuronuma revealed. "Darkness, the element that envelops everything."

Oven wrenched himself free from Kuronuma's Dark Claw. "Now that you know what my bleak but powerful Art is, you must think me a hypocrite for preaching morality, considering that darkness is often associated with pure evil." Kuronuma mused. "This is a very incorrect assumption. Darkness is not evil. Power in general is not evil. People—regardless of their species—are evil. If two men committed horrible sins—one with the power of darkness, and one with the power of fire—the sins would weigh the same regardless because it is the man, not the power."

"Hot Air Torpedo!" Oven threw a punch forward, creating a torpedo of pure heat that propelled itself towards Kuronuma in the middle of his monologuing.

Kurnouma's eyes widened and ducked underneath the attack. "How about some more!" Oven punched repeatedly, propelling more Hot Air Torpedos towards Kuronuma.

This time, Kuronuma was prepared. "Black Hole!" He generated a black hole that absorbed Oven's attacks.

Oven narrowed his eyes as the black hole disappeared quickly. "Fine then!" He yelled as he suddenly brandished a naginata that was about the size of him. The naginata quickly heated up, courtesy of Oven's Devil Fruit powers. "Let's see you stop this!"

Oven leapt at Kuronuma, preparing to cut him down. "I'll cut you like a hot knife through butter!" Oven declared.

Kuronuma brandished his arm from his poncho. "Darkness, take shape." He commanded as darkness suddenly gathered around his hand, taking the form of a short sword. "Now, come forth, Sword of Shadows."

Kuronuma raised his dark blade into the air and blocked Oven's naginata. Oven gasped when he noticed his heat being absorbed into the blade. "Darkness envelops everything," Kuronuma revealed, "my darkness can absorb any power that comes into contact with it as long as I will it to."

"But in spite of their unique abilities," Oven gasped as he was suddenly slashed across the chest, courtesy of a much larger Sword of Shadows in Kuronuma's other hand, "I can assure you they cut just like any other sword."

Oven panted in disbelief. _What the hell is this?_ He wondered. _This kid behaves like some sort of gloomy drama club reject! But fighting him is like fighting a veteran warrior who's seen more battles than I have!_ _ **What the hell is he?**_

"I'm afraid your _heat_ has cooled to a mere _chill_." Kuronuma noted with that impassive expression on his face. "It is time to end this."

Kuronuma raised his hand into the air. At that moment, a large ball of pure darkness appeared in Kuronuma's palm. "Begone," he said coldly, "Dark Matter: Black Meteor."

Oven could only scream in fright as he was struck dead on by the ball of darkness and sent sailing all the way to a ship in the back of the fleet. On said ship, the Chess Soldiers gasped in horror at Oven's motionless form, sprawled onto his back like his brother and fellow triplet, Daifuku. "Lord Oven!"

And with that victory, all the top ranked members of the Big Mom Pirates had been defeated with the greatest of ease. That brings us to Arch General Suiken, who was incapacitating soldier after soldier with ease, courtesy of his katana.

He then turned his attention to the viking-like man on the ship nearby. He was quick to call out to him. "Fleet commander!" He yelled. "You face Arch General Suiken of the Kingdom of Menou! I challenge you to single combat!"

Charlotte Cracker narrowed his eyes as he leapt from his ship to the ship Suiken was on. "I accept your challenge, _Arch General_." Cracker told him. "But know that I am no mere fleet commander. I am Charlotte Cracker, 10th Son of the Charlotte Family and one of the Three Sweet Commanders of the Big Mom Pirates."

Suiken just smirked at who he had challenged. "Wonderful," he said, "it appears the folks back in Dressrosa will have more to be grateful about after I crush you."

Suiken powered up, matching the level of power Fūgetsu was exerting on the Mammoth. "Let's get started!" The two said in unison, ready to take on Jack and Cracker.

 **AN: As much as I wish this chapter wasn't filled with curb stomps, there were two situations I had to deal with. First, I needed to get rid of both the Big Mom and Beasts Pirates as quickly as possible. Second, I simply** _ **had**_ **to show off how strong Menou was, to give everyone an idea of how powerful Rakuen was. So, that's kinda how things had to turn out. That being said, I did love writing the abilities of each Gate. Oh well, hope everyone enjoyed regardless. Next time, the match with the Big Mom Pirates and Beasts Pirates conclude as Suiken and Fūgetsu cut loose.**


	5. Chapter 5: Smashed Crackerjack

**A.N: See, this is exactly what I was talking about. Real life is simply way too important to devote all of my energy to this to keep up the same output I did before. And you know what? That's fine. There's more to life than just writing one crossover. Now, I could choose to put one of my other projects on hiatus, but I won't. Do you want to know why? Because I'm enjoying writing those two. I enjoy writing Wild Hunt and the Multiverse Tournament. And that's also what it's all about. Doing things you love. I'm not going to stop writing things I'm enjoying just because it's slowing** _ **this**_ **down.**

 **Now, on a different note. I've never done this before, or maybe I have and I'm just too lazy to go back and check, but I'm going to put a trigger warning here. Scenes of abuse are in this chapter.**

 **On that note, enjoy the chapter.**

 **Chapter 5: Smashed Crackerjack**

Charlotte Cracker stared in confusion at the blue-colored aura surrounding Arch General Suiken's body, the man opened his eyes, revealing that they were completely blue in color. "You know, I can't help but feel bad for you." Suiken noted. "No one gets to choose who they are born to, but you really drew a crappy hand, considering who your mother is."

"To be honest, no matter how much I want to, I just can't bring myself to hate people like you, who's parents are just the worst, or even people who work under those same kinds of people."

Cracker narrowed his eyes. _There's something different about him._ He immediately realized.

"To be honest, Charlotte Cracker," Suiken continued, "I really don't hate you, even if some of my men do; that's their decision. I don't hate any of the people here. I just pity you all."

Cracker narrowed his eyes. "And who says I want your pity?" He demanded.

Suiken smirked. "Nobody, I'm just giving it to you anyway, _show some gratitude_."

Charlotte Cracker rushed Suiken. "We're done talking!" He yelled. "Now, we fight!"

Cracker's giant longsword started rotating at incredibly high speeds. It was also blackened with Armament Haki. "Take this Roll Pretzel!" Cracker stabbed his rotating sword at Suiken.

Suiken was quick to block Cracker's sword with his katana. "This is my mighty sword, Pretzel!" Cracker introduced his blade. "A longsword with no equal! _You_ should be grateful that you get to die by such a mighty blade, General!"

Suiken chuckled. "So a sword named after a pastry is supposed to scare me? You do know that there's a lot wrong with that, right?"

"Alright then," Suiken continued, "since we seem fond of going on and on about names, why don't I introduce you to someone else."

Suiken then briefly gestured to his katana with his head. "Allow me to introduce you to my trusty katana: the Kyūryū. Its name means: 'rapid flow,' or 'torrent.'"

"It originally belonged to a powerful but violent swordsman and bandit who lived in the lawless 'no-man's land' in my world. Its name originally came from the swordsman's reputation for leaving a fast-flowing river of blood in his wake."

"Needless to say, that menace to society is gone. I killed him myself after he got a bit uppity and thought he could operate in Menou without consequence. I took his sword myself, because I felt a bit bad its name had such a frightening reputation. Figured I'd give it a better reputation to attach its name to."

Suiken then pushed Cracker off with ease, surprising the big, viking-looking man. He then sped towards Cracker with Vanishing Walk. Cracker's eyes widened and held out what appeared to be a shield made of biscuits attached to his arm and barely blocked Suiken's Kyūryū.

"Needless to say, when I really let loose, it still can create a river of blood," Suiken admitted, "but now this blade's name brings hope to the people of Menou, not fear."

"There's a lesson to be learned from that you know." Suiken pointed out. "How people view something ultimately depends on actions that are associated with it."

"Don't think you're in such a comfortable position that you can lecture me in the middle of a fight!" Cracker yelled. "Don't be so arrogant!"

At that moment, an extra limb appeared under Cracker's sword arm; with it, an extra version of Pretzel. Suiken was admittedly interested in Cracker's ability. "Such an odd power, but useful too." He complimented as Cracker attacked him.

"Double Roll Pretzel!" Cracker yelled, stabbing at Suiken with both swords.

Suiken vanished, leaping to the masthead of the ship, leaving behind a blue trail of Reiki. Cracker gasped and looked up as Suiken gazed down at him from the masthead. "Your power is impressive," Suiken complimented, "but I don't believe it is arrogant of me to claim that mine is better."

"The Soul of Suijin resides inside of my very being." Suiken revealed. "And with it, all of his power, and his dedication to the royal family. Suijin was known for being the most benevolent of the Founding Emperor's five most trusted compatriots. In fact, his soul weeps at the very thought of us crossing blades."

"However, Suijin was also a man who could change his mind like the tides when needed. He was kind, but never foolish." Suiken continued. "It is an honor to have the soul and power of a man that great inside of me."

Suiken vanished once more. Cracker gasped and barely blocked his next attack. He saw his shield crack. _He cut my shield?_

"It is also an honor to have the opportunity to add to that legend!" Suiken continued as he sped around Cracker, attacking him from every side, his speed enhanced by unleashing Suijin's power. "By the time my long life comes to an end, this I swear to you, the universe will remember the Arch General Suiken for his additions to Suijin's legacy. Arch General Suiken, a name that will be associated with benevolence, intelligence, and power! A man who gave his all in service to a man even greater!"

Cracker frantically blocked all of Suiken's attacks, feeling his armor crack from every blow. _He's too fast, I can barely keep up when he's like this!_ He realized.

 _Perhaps if I can judge where he's going to be by using that trail of aura he's leaving behind whenever he moves?_ Cracker noted as he began doing just that. _There!_

"Twist Pretzel!" Cracker rotated his arm and Pretzel once more before stabbing forward, this time firing a compressed blast of air that sped towards Suiken like a drill.

Suiken, however, easily diverted Cracker's attack with Kyūryū, letting it tear through the side of another ship, much to the fright of the troops on it. "It's no use, Cracker." Suiken told him. "No matter what you do, I'm afraid you cannot keep up with my speed and power. This fight's outcome has already been decided."

"I have not ended this fight yet not out of sadism, but because you must truly understand how outmatched you are for my king's plan to work. The Four Emperors and their crews have grown far too arrogant and comfortable in their positions, just like the detestable government that rules over this world. It is time you are reminded of what it is like to lose, to feel helpless, and perhaps then, you can understand the feelings of those you trample over without care."

Suiken narrowed his eyes. "So many shoved into nameless graves, forgotten to history, all because of the selfish actions of a few. I may not hate those who commit atrocities in the name of family or governments, but at the same time, I will never forgive those who brush aside the deaths of others like they are meaningless. Those people had names and lives, and people like you and your monster of a mother trampled over them without care."

"Again you lecture me." Cracker noted. "Are you not taking this fight seriously?"

"I am," Suiken replied, "just not to your level. After all, why should I focus all of my attention on someone who's weaker than me?"

Cracker narrowed his eyes. "Among my troops, I have a rule that I expect every single one of them to follow." Suiken revealed. "If they kill someone in battle, they are required to give them a proper burial, and that includes a marked grave with a name and everything. After all, names are important."

"Now that I agree with." Cracker nodded. "So here's a name you should treat as important and respect, General! Charlotte! As in Charlotte Linlin! As in Big Mom! And as in Charlotte Cracker, one of her many sons! Our name is power! Our name commands respect! Our name strikes fear into others, and it will in you before this day is over!"

Cracker started rotating both swords. "Your swordplay is impressive, General." Cracker admitted. "But no matter how good it is, mere swordplay won't be enough to best me!"

"Oh you poor thing," Suiken sighed, "do you really think fancy swordsmanship is all I'm good at?"

"Granted, I'm a damn good swordsman, second best in all of Menou just behind Master Kanja. However, you haven't even seen the real strength behind the Soul of Suijin."

Suiken then smirked. "And that is strange to me," he admitted, "because I would think someone with your reputation would be a bit more perceptive. Look around you."

Cracker looked around to see several small bodies of water, the size of daggers, surrounding him. "This is how you hit someone with a technique," Suiken claimed, "Drizzle!"

With that, the dagger-sized drops of water all converged on Cracker at once, striking him repeatedly from all sides. Suiken then watched in slight interest as Cracker's body oddly seemed to sag and droop from the water, as though it were about to collapse. He then sighed, realizing what it was. "Well, that was unexpected." He admitted. "But you know, I can't help but laugh at how dedicated these pirates are to themes sometimes."

Suiken then sped towards Cracker with Vanishing Walk once more, surrounding the Kyūryū with water that was moving about like the blades of a chainsaw. Cracker tried to lift Pretzel, only to find his arm weak and actually falling apart.

"Big Wave Slash!" Suiken yelled, swinging upwards, and dealing a powerful blow to Cracker with both the power of his swing and the blade of water that tore right through Cracker's upper body, right up to his shoulder.

A few Chess Soldiers who had been forced to the ground by the sheer pressure of Suiken's powerful Reiki screamed in horror at the sight of their Sweet Commander being dealt such a devastating blow. "Lord Cracker!"

Cracker then pointed two fingers at Cracker's chest. "Ocean Cannon!" He yelled, firing a high-pressured blast of water that pierced right through Cracker's chest and right out the back of his body, pushing Cracker's giant form to the starboard side of the ship.

"No, Lord Cracker!" The soldiers screamed once more.

"He killed Lord Cracker." One realized.

Suiken shook his head. "My king ordered us not to take any lives, but to merely send a message." He pointed out. "I would turn this blade upon myself before I disobeyed such an order."

"Anyway, I'd promise to bury you in a marked grave out of respect, Charlotte Cracker," Suiken continued, addressing the motionless husk that was once Charlotte Cracker, "but that's kind of pointless, since _you're not dead_."

At that moment, _something_ rose from the husk. It was a large man with light purple hair tied into what appeared to be a baguette, but also had two pointed strands that oddly sparkled like firecrackers. He had a large scar that covered his right eye, seemed to not believe in shirts, and wore what appeared to be a kilt with decorative biscuits of all things.

The man glared at Suiken. "You bastard," he growled, "you went and destroyed my favorite suit of armor! Now I'm really going to have to kill you!"

Suiken remained silent. "You must be so shocked," the man noted, "but as you can see, the Charlotte Cracker you knew, was simply a part of years worth of deception."

"But what you see here is the real deal." The man grinned before properly introducing himself. "I am the _real_ Charlotte Cracker, 10th Son of the Charlotte Family and one of the Three Sweet Commanders of the Big Mom Pirates."

Cracker then took out what appeared to be a wanted poster with the picture of the armor he was in earlier. "Nice, huh?" He bragged. "The government actually thinks that a big dumb suit of armor is the genuine article, the pirate worth 860 million beris!"

"Let that sink in, you bastard!" Cracker yelled. "I'm so powerful, the World Government, the men with monsters like that Fleet Admiral Sakazuki, have never managed to uncover my _true identity!_ Can you even begin to imagine that kind of power?"

"But hey, pat yourself on the back, General," Cracker continued, "that makes you a very special man! It's been a long time since someone's actually managed to get me to fight outside of my armor! Along with my family and the last bastard to get me out of this armor, you're the only one who knows what I really look like."

Suiken remained silent. "Still shocked, huh?" Cracker grinned. "Ooh, wait, I know, you're probably wondering how I did it, right?"

Cracker started clapping his hands as biscuits suddenly appeared, floating in the air. The biscuits then formed two copies of the armor he was wearing earlier. "I ate the Bis Bis Fruit! I'm a Biscuit Man! That means I can manipulate biscuits! And paired with Mama's power to create Homies out of inanimate objects, I can create my own personal army!"

"Amazing," a Chess Soldier muttered, "I never even realized that was Lord Cracker's power."

"Hey, you guys!" Cracker yelled, realizing that there was a still-conscious audience watching him. "Now that you've seen what I look like, you better keep your damn mouths shut! I happen to like my anonymity you know!"

Cracker then glared darkly at them. "If you don't, I'll kill you."

"Eek! Of course, Lord Cracker, our lips are sealed!" The soldiers said in unison.

Cracker then turned his attention back to the still silent Suiken. "Hey, hey, hey, come on, work with me, General." He said. "I just gave you the shock of a lifetime, the least you could do is show some kind of reaction?"

"I just can't believe it," Suiken finally admitted with a deadpan expression, "who wastes their time constructing a suit of armor like that to fight in?"

"Heh, not the reaction I was hoping for, but I'll take it." Cracker grinned. "Truth be told, General, I can't stand pain. I can't even stand the prick of a needle. So I use my armor to fight in and avoid that pain!"

Cracker then leapt at the still stunned Suiken. "But I can assure you," Cracker continued, "I'm dangerous to all either way!"

"Honey Pretzel!" Cracker stabbed forward, blocked by Suiken's Kyūryū. The force of the impact created a gust of wind behind Suiken that actually tilted a few ships behind Suiken that were unlucky enough to be caught in the line of fire.

"After all," Cracker continued, "regardless of what I look like, I'm a Charlotte!"

Suiken decided to put some distance between himself and Cracker, who created more Biscuit Soldiers. "Heritage defines a man's character and his power!" Cracker declared. "A royal will always act as a royal, and someone with a pedigree like mine will be strong."

Suiken scowled at Cracker's statement while the man sent his Biscuit Soldiers towards him. Cracker then gave him a demeaning gaze. "And then there's you, General. See, I can't help but pity you with a name like that." Cracker admitted.

Suiken narrowed his eyes. "Choose your next words carefully, Cracker." He growled.

"Hey, no need to get mad." Cracker laughed. "I told you, I pity you. With a name like Suiken, a name that means 'drunken fist,' your parents had to have hated you! Ooh, lemme guess, you were a drunken mistake that they constantly wanted to remind you of, and that's why they gave you that name?"

Cracker just laughed cruelly while a few Chess Soldiers laughed uncomfortably with him. "That is kind of funny," one admitted, "in a…sad and pathetic way."

Suiken froze at Cracker's laughter. "Heritage defines one's character." Cracker repeated himself. "You can build up your reputation all you want. You can get all the fancy titles you want. But you will always be just a drunken mistake! Of course, you already know that. It's reflected in _your freaking name_!"

At that moment, Suiken snapped.

"Sea Dragon!" The ship they were on suddenly started to shake. Then a dragon of water rose from the ocean, terrifying the Chess Soldiers and shocking Cracker.

The dragon then lunged and destroyed the Biscuit Soldiers, crushing them with the force of its lunge and the fact it was made of water.

Cracker's eyes widened and leapt backwards. _Crap, that dragon was made of seawater, if that had gotten on me, I would've been in trouble._

"You know something, Charlotte Cracker." Suiken said with a dangerously calm tone of voice. "There are some lines you just…shouldn't…cross!"

Suiken's Reiki flared to levels even higher than before, reflected in his tremendous rage.

As Suiken clashed with Cracker, eventually finding a personal reason to take on the Sweet Commander, Arch General Fūgetsu began her confrontation with Jack the Drought of the Three Disasters. Jack was quick to reveal his two curved blades as he stared down the woman who was much, much shorter than him. Of course, that was not fair to Fūgetsu. Jack was definitely taller than the average man.

"I'm going to break that puny toothpick of yours in half, woman." Jack promised, grinning behind his mask.

Fūgetsu calmly dropped into her battle stance. "I'm going to show you how little a billion beris means to the Kingdom of Menou." She vowed.

"Hikari!" Fūgetsu called out to one of her Gold Gates. "I don't want any of you to get in the way, do you understand?"

Hikari smiled and bowed respectfully to her general. "Understood, General Fūgetsu." She said, turning her attention to the rest of her fellow Gates. "You heard her, everyone, don't interfere with the general's fight."

Ikazuchi frowned. "Aww man," he said, "you're mean, General, taking all of the good fights."

"Pick your battles, Ikazuchi." Gōken said sagely. "We are not capable of facing the top subordinates of the Four Emperors alone. Let us simply bask in our own victories and let General Fūgetsu do her part."

"Still, watching this is going to be _torture_ in more ways that one." Kumo noted, licking his lips. "General Fūgetsu is truly a woman after my heart, forcing me to just stand by and watch a fight without getting to participate. That is true torture."

"God you're weird, Kumo." Riku muttered before addressing his general. "Kick his ass, Chief! Show 'em that you're not to be messed with!"

Jack and Fūgetsu both swung their blades at each other, clashing together with an impact that actually pushed against the Gates. "Awesome," Riku grinned from the feeling, being a man who loved watching a good fight as much as participating in one, "The chief must really be fired up."

"She did receive a direct order from the king." Hitomi pointed out. "General Fūgetsu always seems more motivated whenever His Majesty gives her direct orders in how she operates."

Tomoyuki laughed uncomfortably at Hitomi's statement. "It does seem that way, doesn't it? We end up being ran even harder. I wonder why she always seems like that whenever His Majesty gives her direct orders."

Hitomi looked at Tomoyuki in disbelief before shaking her head. " _This_ is Fuyumi's problem." She muttered, referring to Tomoyuki's big sister.

Jack grinned in excitement. "Oho? So you're not as delicate as that lean form of yours lets on, eh?" He taunted.

Fūgetsu just shook her head. "You're going to hate your bloodlust by the time I'm through with you, Jack." She vowed. "Trust me, this is going to be the worst time you've ever had."

With that, the green aura surrounding Fūgetsu's body spiked upwards, pushing Jack away from her. Jack's eyes widened behind his mask, surprised by Fūgetsu's power. Fūgetsu calmly advanced on Jack before twirling her Naginata. A tornado was then generated. "Sweeping Tornado!" She yelled.

Jack grunted as he was struck in the chest by Fūgetsu's Sweeping Tornado, a powerful technique that, true to its name, swept up its foes in a violent cyclone before sending them crashing into whatever they hit first.

Jack growled and stomped his foot into the deck of the Mammoth, stopping his forced backwards progression. "My turn!" He growled, readying his two blades.

"Disaster Stampede!" Jack leapt at Fūgetsu with surprising speed, considering the man's size, while holding his two blades in an x.

Jack then appeared in front of Fūgetsu and cut her into three pieces with the blades. The Gates surprisingly had very little reaction to Jack's attack, until Fūgetsu's corpse suddenly dissolved into the wind. Jack's eyes widened in slight surprise. _Does she wield powers similar to a Logia?_ He wondered.

"Harpy Dive!" Fūgetsu suddenly appeared, kicking Jack in the back of the head with a foot, enhanced by powerful winds.

Jack's eyes bulged out of their sockets from the impact before Fūgetsu pushed off of him. "And Kamaitachi!" Fūgetsu swung her naginata, creating razor winds that struck Jack in the back, pushing him to the ground.

Jack yelled out in pain as he felt blood fly from his back. Jack growled. "You bitch." He hissed, furious at Fūgetsu for actually managing to hurt him.

"For someone who likes violence, Jack." Fūgetsu landed gracefully on the ground and began to speak critically to the behemoth of a man. "You don't seem fond of it when it happens to you."

Jack responded by turning back to Fūgetsu and pointed his two blades at her. "Mammoth Tusks!" Jack yelled, charging forward once more.

"Another forward charge?" Riseko was surprised by how simple Jack's attacks were.

"No, look at how the blades are pointed upwards." Gōken pointed. "He plans on driving the blades upwards should the general try to leap again."

"Well, at least he's actually adapting his moves to the general's actions." Kōga noted. "It wouldn't do if someone so high up in the world of pirates was nothing but muscle and threats."

"This _is_ a world where power equals authority, Kōga, try to keep that in mind." Hikari reminded her ninja-like comrade.

"Either way, it won't work, the general's battle experience is such that she can catch onto simple tells like that." Gōken said. "General Fūgetsu is without a doubt the most perceptive of the Arch Generals. Nothing escapes her notice."

Indeed, Fūgetsu was aware of Jack's intentions. She tapped her foot on the ground before she was pushed backwards by a powerful gust of wind, right off the side of the ship, much to Jack's surprise.

Fūgetsu then stood up in the air, smirking down at Jack. "With the power of Fūjin, I can even take the air and make it solid for me to walk on. If I wanted to be mean about this, I could bombard you with the power of the heavens themselves and crush you."

"However, Lord Chitsujo wishes for this to be a thorough humiliation, so that both invading crews never come near Dressrosa again, and I believe that in order to achieve this goal, you need to see that even with me fighting on your terms, you have no chance at winning." Fūgetsu explained as she descended from the sky like they were stairs.

"Humiliation?" Jack narrowed his eyes. "Do you honestly think we'll let a humiliation like this stand? This is a declaration of war on the Beasts Pirates!"

"To be fair, Jack, you attacked first." Fūgetsu reminded him. "Don't play the role of aggressor if you're not prepared to experience aggression in return."

"Anyway, as for your question, I honestly don't expect you to let this stand. In fact, I'm doubting that neither you, nor the Big Mom Pirates, will get the message." Fūgetsu admitted. "Don't you get it? That's why I'm here in the first place. I'm here to make sure that guys like you aren't allowed to just do whatever you want on the high seas any longer. That time has passed and will remain as such until this war is over. At least, that's how long I expect to be stationed here."

Jack just laughed at this. "Fine then!" He yelled, now seeing red. "If that's the case, we'll have plenty of time to get to know each other!"

With that, Jack began to transform, his nose became an elephant's trunk, his body became more furry, and tusks grew from his face. He seemed to grow even larger. While he transformed, Fūgetsu was drawn to a sudden burst of angry Reiki, which worried her as she recognized it.

"Suiken seems to have been enraged by something." She noted before narrowing her eyes. "That fool better not lose his temper and forget the king's orders. He'd be a damn hypocrite if he killed his enemies now."

"But most importantly, he would upset Lord Chitsujo." Fūgetsu said grimly. "I can't forgive anyone who upsets him?"

"Hey!" Jack yelled. "Focus on the fact that a true monster has now taken shape before you!"

Fūgetsu gazed at Jack's new appearance. "A mammoth man?" She noted, clearly unimpressed.

"Behold, my Man-Beast Transformation." Jack revealed. "I ate the Elephant Elephant Fruit, Model: Mammoth, an Ancient Zoan Devil Fruit."

"Now I'm serious!" Jack revealed. "Playtime is over, General! Now, I will crush you into a bloody paste!"

Tabe laughed. "Wow, the guy actually believes his own hype. The general won't lose to a damned herbivore, or even a carnivore for that matter."

Fūgetsu now stood on the edge of the ship, pointing her naginata at the mammoth man. "I don't want you to get the wrong idea, Jack." She said. "You are definitely strong. You are worth every single beri the World Government placed on your head."

"However, you do not face the World Government, you face me." Fūgetsu reminded him. "And I can assure you, the reputation you gained in this world would only carry you so far in mine."

"You fool, I fought the Minks for five days and five nights, and they couldn't stop me! What do you think you can hope to do?" Jack demanded.

"Enough," Fūgetsu replied, "and that's all I _need_ to do, for the sake of my king."

Jack just laughed. "How idiotic, your king can't be that important to you!"

With that, Jack swung his trunk at Fūgetsu, only for the calm woman to blast it away with a concussive blast of air. "He is not just important to me, but to all of Menou." Fūgetsu replied. "He gives his all in service to us, and we do the same. That is what it means to be loyal to the king, and for the king to be loyal to his subjects. A king who does not love his people is no king at all."

"What does loyalty mean to you, Jack the Drought?" Fūgetsu demanded. "You who knows only violence and bloodshed? What is loyalty to you?"

"Absolutely nothing." Jack responded without hesitation.

"So you feel no loyalty to Kaido?" Fūgetsu was surprised.

"The only thing I'm grateful to him for is him letting me use my power to create as much destruction as I please." Jack revealed.

Fūgetsu's face contorted into a look of sheer disgust. Her mind began to wander elsewhere. _None should ever doubt my loyalty to the king._ She thought to herself. _Even when I question him, I do so out of loyalty._

 _My clan has served the kingdom and the royal family since its inception._ Fūgetsu revealed inwardly. _However, I do not just serve the kingdom, I serve the king. This king in particular. I will never lose to a man who knows no loyalty to his own master!_

While Fūgetsu declared her loyalty to her beloved king, General Suiken continued to seethe in rage as memories of his past came to him.

 _I was born a mistake._ Suiken grimly thought to himself. _Born to a no-show of a father who skipped out on us after carelessly sewing his seed, and a drunk of a mother who despised my very existence. I was a reminder of the fact that her life was ruined by a man who just couldn't keep it in his pants._

 _Those years I spent with that woman, were a living hell on Earth…_

 _Flashback: Several Hundred Years Ago_

A young Suiken yelped in shock and pain as he was knocked onto his back from a powerful slap to the face from his mother. He whimpered in pain as he fearfully stared up at his furious mother, who was in one of her moods from drinking too much again. Not that her mood was any better when she was sober.

Suiken's mother was an awful woman either way, and had no business raising a child. When she was sober, she simply ignored her son, sometimes verbally abusing him as well. However, when she was drunk, that was when the woman was at her worst.

"Quit your damn crying you little brat, or I swear I'll hit you again!" The woman screamed furiously, marching up to him threateningly, raising her hand and preparing to strike him once more.

Suiken frightfully backed away from her. Why was this even happening? Unfortunately, he made the mistake of trying to ask if they were eating tonight while she was drinking. He should have noticed the empty bottle.

Suiken tried his best to stop whimpering. The woman stumbled back to her seat before slumping down into it. "Ugh, good, some damn peace and quiet." She slurred, sounding relieved before glaring at Suiken who flinched at his mother's glare.

"You're a damn mistake, you know that, right?" She told him. "I never wanted you. Hell, your own father never wanted you, just like he never wanted me. The only reason you're even here is because I can't have people asking questions why a brat who's got some of my looks running around homeless. That'd ruin my reputation."

"Not like I have much of a reputation anymore, thanks to you." The woman glared at him. "I'm just the woman with the crappy taste in men."

"And you are the drunken mistake that was a result of it. It's reflected in your name, you little brat; Suiken, the 'drunken fist.' A drunken mistake of epic proportions that I just want to punch the hell out of to try and alleviate this pain."

"M-Mother…" Suiken whimpered as he was unable to stop himself from crying once more, making the woman snap.

His mother shot out of her seat and started hitting him once more. "What? Did I say? About crying?!" She screamed.

Suiken could only scream in pain and fright as the woman who was supposed to be his nurturer instead became his greatest tormentor. "And just remember, if I leave bruises, you better have a damn good lie prepared!" His mother yelled as she refused to let up on her assault.

Yes, for Suiken, this was a hell on Earth that he thought he would never escape from. Or so he thought…

A year after that particularly bad memory, Suiken found himself in the hands of workers employed by Menou's largest orphanage, Takara's House. He could not help but look at both of these workers in amazement. They were standing in front of him protectively, glaring at his mother, who was protesting him being taken. The woman she was screaming at, however, was having none of it.

"We've gotten tips of abuse in this household." She was a beautiful woman dressed in regal, blue and gold robes with long black hair and emerald green eyes. However, the kindness that was normally in her eyes, was nowhere to be seen. Right now, all she had was utter contempt for Suiken's mother. "And when we arrive here, what do we discover? A child covered in bruises."

"He took a bad fall from playing!" Suiken's mother quickly denied. "I had nothing to do with that, right Suiken?"

The regal woman raised an eyebrow at his mother's statement. She looked at Suiken, who seemed unable to look at his mother and was trying to cower behind the two workers that were with her. She gave him a motherly smile and knelt down. "Listen to me," she said, "you can be honest with us. Did you get those bruises from falling down? Or is she hitting you?" She asked.

"Hey!" Suiken's mother yelled. "Is my word not good enough?"

"How dare you!" The two workers yelled, furious at the way this woman was addressing their superior.

Suiken did not respond for a brief moment. He whimpered, gazing at his mother for a moment before flinching instinctively. The regal woman sighed. She knew the answer, but she needed Suiken to say it, so that she could legally take this child out of this dangerous environment. "If your son fell and hurt himself," she said, "why is it that we discovered him cowering in his room? Why were you not there caring for him? If I were in your position and someone was knocking on my door while I was caring for my child, I would ignore it."

"I don't need parenting advice from you!"

"Considering what you're being accused of, I beg to differ." The regal woman responded before addressing Suiken once more. "It's Suiken, right? Do you want to tell me the truth? You know who I am, right?"

Suiken nodded. "Y-yes, Ma'am," he said nervously.

The regal woman smiled. "Then you know you can be honest with me, right?"

Suiken looked at the woman and then his mother before responding without thinking. "It was my fault, I was being bad." He said, trying to be honest but not get his mother in trouble at the same time.

At that moment, Suiken's mother looked like she was ready to kill him. The regal woman nodded. "That's all I needed to hear." She said as the two workers stood protectively in front of Suiken, eyeing his abusive mother.

"He's lying!" Suiken's mother insisted.

"Is he?" The regal woman responded, clearly unconvinced. "Little children are taught from a young age to be honest with adults. Why would a child lie to me?"

"Because he's a conniving, ungrateful little monster!"

"Then what does that make the woman who raised him?" The regal woman inquired curiously.

"It's not like I wanted to raise him! His damn father skipped out on me!" Suiken's mother screamed.

Instinctively, Suiken started crying, hearing once again how much his mother hated him. The regal woman glared at Suiken's mother. "If that's the case, you should have no issue with us taking him and making him a ward of the kingdom. He will have a much happier home in my orphanage."

"His place is here. If he's going to exist, he's going to do each and every thing that pops into my head! It's the least he can do!"

"No, his place is where he will receive the love and affection a child needs." The regal woman responded. "And it is becoming clearer and clearer to me that he won't receive any of that here. The alcohol on your breath is a dead giveaway as well."

"You…you can't do this!" Suiken's mother yelled furiously. "Even if you are…you can't do this!"

The regal woman shook her head. "We arrived here with a warrant, acting on a tip from concerned neighbors." She responded. "We have every right to act if we see something that warrants action, and I think we've received enough proof to act. You can try to resist, but then we will have no choice but to have you arrested for obstruction."

"Please do not force us to do that. I do not want to see fellow citizens to confront each other. Besides, if you despise your son that much, he shouldn't be seen as worth going to jail for."

With that, Suiken's mother backed down. "Fine, take him, it's not like he'll ever amount to anything anyway. He's got his bastard of a father's genes."

With that, Suiken's mother slammed the door on them, effectively removing her presence from his life. At that moment, the regal woman pouted in an unladylike manner. "Unbelievable, that woman," she said angrily, "I wanted to walk right up to her and slap her."

"Milady," a worker said with a worried expression, "please exercise some restraint so that doesn't happen. It's not setting a good example for the people if someone like you is slapping people just because you don't like them. After all, once you start, where does it end?"

"I know," she said before remembering she had a child to comfort.

The regal woman walked up to young Suiken, who was still sobbing, and pulled him into an embrace. "Shh, shh, it's okay." She assured him. "Everything is going to be alright now. We're going to take you to my 'home' where you will feel all the love you deserve, I promise."

Suiken relaxed into the woman's embrace. "Yes, welcome to Takara's Home."

It was on that day, Suiken got to meet the Queen of Menou, the wife of Chitsujo, Lady Takara, Menou's Angel and the owner of Takara's Home. It was on that day, that Suiken began his new life.

 _But it wasn't enough,_ Suiken remembered bitterly, _I will always be grateful to Queen Takara for acting and bringing me to the orphanage. But getting away from that devil of a woman did not change anything for me. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't escape my old life, because I couldn't escape my name. No matter what happened, I would always be Suiken, the 'drunken fist.' The mistake made by a no-show father, and a violent, drunk mother._

 _I lashed out at the kids who pointed out what my name meant. I think I sent more than a few of them to the hospital. Queen Takara would always calm me down, but the damage was already done by the time they did. I was all alone._

 _However, little did I know, I would soon be saved again by another member of the royal family. Little did I know, while I wallowed in my own misery, someone was already planning how to help me…_

It was on that particular day, Chitsujo came to visit the orphanage. Partly to play with the children, and partly to shirk his duties as king and push them on Yasashi and the other Saint Warriors. However, as always, he was first greeted by his beloved wife with a kiss.

"And a good day to you, my love." Chitsujo said, breaking the kiss with a happy smile on his face.

"Mmm, and a good day to you as well, darling." Takara replied, content to be in the arms of her beloved.

"Hi King Chitsujo!" The orphans all exclaimed, happily surrounding their king.

"And hello to all of you." Chitsujo said to them with a big smile. "How are you all today?"

Chitsujo then noticed a lonely little boy playing in the corner, recognizing him from a description Takara gave him, he spoke up. "Is that the boy you mentioned to me? His name is…"

Takara shushed him. "Don't bring up his name, he's…very sensitive about it."

Chitsujo frowned, having heard all the details. He just could not believe there were parents who treated their own children like that. Takara looked at him as well. "The poor thing, I've tried so hard and yet he just can't seem to move on. And it all seems to be because of what his name means."

Chitsujo then gave a small smile. "Would you like me to give it a try?" He inquired. "You trust me to help him, do you not?"

"Of course I do, darling." Takara promised him. "If you think you can help him, please do."

Chitsujo nodded and walked past the children, walking up to Suiken. He knelt down to the young boy's level. "Hello there," Chitsujo said, "do you know who I am."

Suiken looked up at Chitsujo in amazement before speaking. "Yes, you are King Chitsujo." He said, amazed at the sight of the kingdom's beloved ruler in his presence.

Chitsujo nodded. "That's right," he said, "and you are Suiken, correct? You arrived at this orphanage only a week ago, yes?"

Suiken nodded. Chitsujo gave him an even bigger smile. "You know, Suiken, when my wife first told me your name, I was perplexed."

Suiken instinctively glared at Chitsujo. Was his own king going to make fun of his name now? Then, Chitsujo's next works wiped that glare away, stunning Suiken. "I simply could not believe that someone would name their child, 'Water Sword.'"

Suiken's mouth dropped open before correcting him. "Your Majesty," he said, "my name means…well, it means, 'Drunken Fist.'"

Chitsujo gave him a stern but kind glance. "And what does it matter what your name means? A name is just a name. And how powerful can they truly be if they can have so many different meanings."

"Take your name for example," Chitsujo began to write kanji in the air, "if you take the characters for water and sword, you also get 'Suiken.' Only in this case, it means, 'Water Sword.'"

"Personally, I think that's much more flattering, don't you?" Chitsujo inquired. "A name that implies the grace and gentleness of water, but the might of the sword."

 _I don't know why, but at that moment, I started to cry. Somehow I knew…that this man was trying to help me like Queen Takara was. But he…somehow knew exactly what I needed to hear._

The orphans and Takara watched in amazement as Chitsujo pulled the weeping Suiken into a tight embrace. "Our names do not define who we are. It's what's inside of our hearts, and our actions that define us. Remember that, and never feel like your existence was a mistake ever again, Suiken."

"Now take this new name, and show the world what's really inside of your heart." Chitsujo encouraged him.

 _It was at that moment…I truly realized how blessed we were to have that man as our king. He became my idol, my hero. I didn't even know what I was destined for at the time, and neither did he. He just saw a child who needed his help. I respected that man even more for that._

 _It was definitely cliche, looking back, but after that day, I decided I wanted to join the Royal Army, and learn the sword to fight. After going through the academy, my talents were noticed, and I was offered an apprenticeship under Master Kanja, the Saint Warrior of Patience…_

A teenage looking Suiken was knocked onto his back after another sparring match with Kanja, the greatest swordsman in Menou. And she certainly lived up to her title. Suiken had sparred with her a hundred times during their training sessions, and he never once beat her.

"Would you like to call it a day, Suiken?" Kanja suggested.

"No, I can keep going." Suiken replied.

Kanja sighed. "You say that, but you consistently hurt yourself in doing so. I love the enthusiasm, but you push yourself to hard. You take advantage of the fact that our healers get you back into shape very quickly, and I don't like that. You won't have their help on the battlefield, Suiken."

Suiken got to his feet. "Please, Master, let's go one more round!"

Kanja looked at Suiken. "Suiken," she said, "what is it that's pushing you so far? I'm just now realizing I've never bothered getting some insight into why you joined the Royal Army, or why you wanted to train under me."

"Sure, you could give me the two stock answers: 'It's an honor to serve the king,' and 'it's an honor to train under one of the Saint Warriors,' but we both know that's a load of crap. So what's the real reason?"

Suiken thought it over before responding, deciding he could trust his teacher with his ultimate goal. "Gratitude," he revealed.

"Gratitude?" Kanja repeated in confusion.

"King Chitsujo did something for me that changed my life. I owe him everything, and so I shall give him everything I have." Suiken told his master. "I'll push myself to the brink if I have to, because that is the only way I'll achieve the power I need to repay the man who saved me."

Kanja just gazed at her student before smiling. "Alrighty then, Suiken," she said, "as someone who has served the king herself for a long time, I'll go ahead and say that it's an admirable goal. His Majesty is worth every bit of loyalty we give him, because he returns our loyalty with his own."

Kanja pointed her sword at Suiken. "I hope you're ready though," she said, "if that's really your goal, I'm going to push you even harder now. I refuse to let my pupil try to repay His Majesty with such a weak body. We'll take all the time we need until you are one of Menou's mightiest warriors."

"Yes, Master!" Suiken said excitedly, preparing to charge once more.

 _So, I trained fervently, and it was eventually discovered that I was the latest host of Suijin's soul. This only enhanced my power and reputation. I soon graduated and rose through the ranks of Menou's army quickly, eventually reaching a point only true elites could. I was named an Arch General, the third to be promoted to such a rank, after Raika, who had been the first and eldest of us, and Tsuchimaru, who simply came out of nowhere after an incident only known between himself and the king._

"Do you, General Suiken, swear to defend and support the Kingdom of Menou for as long as you live?" Chitsujo inquired of a now formally dressed and older Suiken at his promotion ceremony.

"I swear." Suiken responded obediently.

"Do you swear to uphold the values of our kingdom, and to conduct yourself in a manner befitting a general in our army?"

"I swear."

"And most importantly," Chitsujo smiled, "do you swear that no matter what, you will never betray your comrades, your homeland, and yourself."

Suiken nodded. "I swear, my liege."

"Then by the power invested in me, I hereby approve of your promotion and commission you Arch General Suiken, congratulations and may the gods bless your tenure as Arch General." Chitsujo said to the thunderous applause of those in attendance.

Suiken bowed to his king before addressing him. "I hope you know how grateful I am to you for this, my liege." Suiken told him. "It was you who set me on this path. I never forgot what you did."

Chitsujo smiled, remembering Suiken. "I was glad to help," he said, "remember, these accomplishments today were not achieved by your name. They were achieved by your heart."

Suiken bowed once more. _I will serve you for as long as I live, my king._ Suiken promised. _I will never forget the kindness you showed me, and I shall devote myself to repaying you._

 _I kept that promise,_ Suiken remembered, _I've served with honor and distinction since then, and I will continue to do so for the rest of my days. It may seem silly to you, showing eternal loyalty over something like a name change. However, to a boy who's existence was a mistake to his own mother, and had a name that was a reflection of that cruel reality, it was everything._

Back in the present, Charlotte Cracker gasped as he leapt away from Suiken's Sea Dragon. "Damn," he cursed, gazing at the destroyed line of Biscuit Soldiers. He quickly created more to fight him.

 _This might not be the best solution._ He admitted. _My Devil Fruit's weakness is water, because it softens the biscuits._

"Crush him, Biscuit Soldiers!" Cracker commanded as the viking-like giants charged Suiken.

Suiken rolled his eyes. "You are pathetic!" He screamed as he began cutting down Biscuit Soldier after Biscuit Soldier with the Kyūryū. "Hiding behind your puppets and in that damn armor is basically saying you have no confidence in your own power!"

"Oh shut up!" Cracker yelled. "This is taking advantage of the abilities I have! It's not pathetic at all!"

 _Why is he suddenly not using water?_ Cracker wondered.

Suiken held his free hand out like he was asking for something to be placed in it. However, Cracker's focus was mainly on the man himself and his blade. "I don't care how powerful you are!" Cracker screamed. "Don't get too full of yourself! I am a Charlotte!"

"And why should I care about your name?" Suiken demanded. "Do you have any idea how many people in my kingdom lack the family pedigree you Charlottes do? And they are worth just as much as you are on the battlefield!"

"I'll show you how meaningless your name really is!" Suiken promised.

"You _are_ full of yourself." Cracker noted as Suiken neared him. "Honey Pretzel!"

Suiken grunted as he blocked Cracker's attack, but was pushed back once more. "I honestly can't believe you think you can win!" Cracker admitted. "Don't you know how it works in this world? Once you reach the territories of the Four Emperors, that is when hope and dreams are replaced with despair! You'll never beat us, no matter how many of us fall today!"

"I hate to break it to you, Cracker." Suiken suddenly grinned, surprising Cracker. "But hope and dreams can also be replaced with reality with enough hard work!"

With that, Suiken rushed Cracker once more. "This is for my comrades in Menou!" Suiken declared. "Those whose names are as normal as can be! Whose names are nothing special!"

"Biscuit Soldiers, to me!" Cracker fearfully commanded before a shadow suddenly loomed over him.

Cracker looked up and his eyes widened as what seemed like an entire lake suddenly dropped on him and his Biscuit soldiers, courtesy of Suiken actually manipulating part of the sea to move into the air. Earlier, Suiken had dropped the hand held up.

Cracker gasped in horror as the Biscuit Soldiers fell apart due to the water. _No! The water was moving above me so I never realized!_ He then looked at Suiken, who was suddenly in front of him, ready to strike. _Oh crap, I was distracted!_

"Because no matter who we are, and no matter how tough it gets," Suiken yelled as he coated his Kyūryū with water, making it appear like a chainsaw, "we put everything on the line and turn hope into reality!"

"Tidal Wave Slash!" Suiken yelled as he struck Cracker across the chest with an enhanced version of the Big Wave Slash.

Cracker was flipped into the air by the attack before landing on his head, bending his neck in a bad way before falling limp on his back, knocked out cold and bleeding, the sparks crackling around his hair having gone out.

Suiken smirked as he sheathed his Kyūryū. His eyes returned to normal. "And with that, the Big Mom Pirates have been bested." He said. "I honestly feel bad for you guys. You've won so much, you've become delusional."

Suiken then sat cross-legged. "Now all that's left is to wait for Fūgetsu to wrap things up…

While Suiken wrapped up his fight with Fūgetsu, the lone female Arch General found memories of her own past returning.

 _Last names actually do not exist in our world._ Fūgetsu remembered. _However, if a family lasts long enough, they are given a sort of title that sets them apart from everyone else. My family was labeled the Clan of the Whistling Wind, because many of us had names that had 'wind' in the meaning._

 _We were well respected in Menou, because we had been serving the Royal Family and by extension, the kingdom, ever since its inception, even back when our Founding Emperor had ruled. I, however, began my service while His Majesty was king, and that still makes me happy to this very day…_

"Ah, another member of the Clan of the Whistling Wind," Chitsujo smiled on that particular day, "I was wondering when another member of your family would be serving in the army."

A younger Fūgetsu bowed in respect. "Your Majesty, my name is Fūgetsu." She introduced herself. "By the honor of my father, and my father's father, I promise to one day devote myself entirely to the Royal Army."

Fūgetsu had been a prodigy in her family, especially when she picked up the naginata. It had been a foregone conclusion that not only would she represent her clan as the newest of its long line of soldiers, she would also go to the officer's academy.

On this particular day, the king was taking an opportunity to visit with the cadets. The cadets loved these kinds of days. Even though Chitsujo was king, much like his father before him, he never put himself above his people. He would often attend festivals, go out dancing with his wife at social gatherings, and chat up crowds like he was just another man. And the people loved him for it.

Arch General Raika, who was with Chitsujo, smiled and nodded, happy with Fūgetsu's declaration. "She's a prodigy, even among her clan, Your Majesty." Raika told him. "Fūgetsu has even bested upperclassmen in sparring matches."

"That _is_ quite impressive." Chitsujo nodded before addressing the other cadets in Fūgetsu's class. "But don't let her talents discourage you. Not everyone is at the same level, and that's okay. The key is to find what you're best at, and go from there."

"But let's not talk about talent for a moment." Chitsujo said. "I want to talk about motivation."

Everyone looked at each other in confusion. "You're all here for different reasons," Chitsujo noted, "however, what it be wrong of me to say, that at the very heart of the matter, you're all here because someone told you that you were good enough to be an officer in the army?"

The cadets all looked at each other for a moment before many of them nodded. Fūgetsu looked at Chitsujo in confusion. "Now, I don't like to generalize, and I certainly don't mean to imply that you're here for the wrong reasons. After all, if someone like Raika is instructing you, that means if you aren't good enough, you'll be weeded out pretty quickly."

The cadets all laughed at the joke. "What I mean," Chitsujo continued, "is that you all need to really search your hearts and find out why you want to be officers. And you don't need an answer now. I just want you to keep that in mind."

"After all, you agreed with the person who told you that you were good enough and attended. But there's a reason why you agreed. There is something deep down that is driving you." Chitsujo noted.

"Take me for example, the weight of the crown is heavy. Believe me, being king is not as glamorous as it sounds." Chitsujo explained, gazing particularly at Fūgetsu. "But I choose to bear the responsibilities of the crown regardless, not because my royal blood compels me to, but because I love my kingdom and the people in it."

This struck a chord with Fūgetsu. _Not because of blood…but because of love?_

"I want you to find that motivation that drives you, because it will make you greater officers. No, not just greater officers, but greater warriors and greater people." Chitsujo told them. "You do that, and I can assure you, the responsibilities you take from there will seem much lighter, because the payoff will seem much more worth it."

"Well said, Your Majesty," Raika said, "now, if I could add my own two cents, understand this. Motivation drives everything, and people become stronger when they have something that motivates them. For example, I become stronger when I have the added motivation to protect the soldiers I have under my command…"

And so, the day's lesson continued with Chitsujo watching and occasionally commenting. Fūgetsu's focus, however, was on her king. She was so puzzled by his statement, wondering if he truly was speaking directly to her when he said that. She had to know.

Thankfully, she got to find out when class was dismissed, when she confronted him in the academy halls. "Your Majesty!" Fūgetsu called out to him.

"Yes, Fūgetsu?" Chitsujo inquired.

"About what you said, about bearing those responsibilities out of love and not due to blood, and finding our own motivations…" Fūgetsu paused in embarrassment before continuing. "…I don't want to sound presumptuous My Lord, but were you referring to me?"

"Not necessarily to you," Chitsujo admitted, "I apologize if I offended you."

"No, Milord, it's just, I want you to know that my motivation is to serve you, just like my family has always done for the kings of Menou."

Chitsujo smiled. "And is that out of obligation to your family or to yourself?"

Fūgetsu froze, not having an answer for that. "I don't know, Your Majesty." She admitted. "I apologize."

"My dear, you have nothing to apologize for." Chitsujo assured her. "Like I said, I don't expect any of you to have an answer now. You're young and still learning."

"But let me tell you something." Chitsujo continued. "While I am eternally grateful for your family's devotion to mine, I don't want that to be the reason you spend your life serving in the Royal Army, I don't want that for anyone."

"You don't?" Fūgetsu was surprised.

"Fūgetsu, I don't want mindless drones who endlessly serve my every whim without question because they feel like they have to. I want comrades who happily serve me because they want to." Chitsujo told her.

"I told you, I bear the burdens of my responsibilities out of love, and it is kind of hard to love mindless drones." Chitsujo said with a joking smile. "Mindless drones can't really love you back."

"I see," Fūgetsu nodded in understanding, "then I shall endeavor to change myself to better fit your standard for a soldier."

Chitsujo laughed at that, embarrassing Fūgetsu. "Fūgetsu, I don't want that from you." He assured her. "I just want you to be yourself."

Fūgetsu looked at Chitsujo in disbelief. "To let you in on a little secret, that's step one in discovering your own motivation for becoming an officer." Chitsujo told her. "Just be you, Fūgetsu. You do that, and I think you'll become a truly amazing officer, and an amazing woman. You already do seem great enough, already."

With that, Chitsujo said his goodbyes and left Fūgetsu. However, as he left, Fūgetsu found herself blushing, her heart beating faster as she watched her king retreat.

 _…I fell in love that day._ Fūgetsu inwardly admitted. _And when I realized that I was in love, that became my motivation to become a great officer. I wanted to fight in the name of the king I fell in love with, even if my feelings for him were improper. Since that day, I also strived to always have my own independent beliefs, even if they clashed with my teachers and my king on occasion. Anything to be myself, just like His Majesty wanted of me._

 _Eventually, I was discovered to be the latest bearer of Fūjin's soul, and that damn Suiken, who was in another class, never let me hear the end of it. But, it gave me the advantage in rising through the ranks quickly and I eventually became an Arch General, the fourth. Most importantly, it allowed me to directly serve under the one I loved as both king and as man. My dream, my motivation, is to protect him._

Back in the present, Fūgetsu glared at the transformed Jack. "You damned cretin." She growled. "I will never lose to you, not to a man with no understanding of loyalty."

"Oh, did I offend you?" Jack mocked. "Well, if you're tired of chatting, I'd like to get back to the fight!"

Jack blackened his trunk with Haki before swinging it at Fūgetsu. "Beheading Trunk!" Jack yelled.

Fūgetsu tapped her foot on the ground before rocketing into the air with a gust of wind, avoiding Jack's Trunk Beheading. "Harpy Dive!" Fūgetsu tried to kick Jack once more.

"Not this time!" Jack blackened his mammoth-like fist with Haki. "Mammoth Blow!"

Fūgetsu gritted her teeth as her kick collided with Jack's punch. However, she was not done yet. Wind gathered around the blade of her naginata. She stabbed forward. "Flying Falcon!" She yelled as a blade of wind in the image of a falcon swooped down and pierced Jack in the shoulder, pushing the Drought backwards.

"Two can play it that game!" Jack yelled as he spun a full circle, swinging his blackened trunk. "Super Beheading Trunk!"

Razor winds were sent out by Jack's attack. Fūgetsu quickly held her hand out in front of her. "Solid Air!" She yelled, creating a barrier made of air that stopped Jack's Super Beheading Trunk.

Jack's eyes widened in disbelief at Fūgetsu stopping one of his strongest attacks with such ease. "Don't feel so bad," Fūgetsu said to him, "if you look closer, you actually cracked it a little."

"But, I've played around with you enough, Jack!" Fūgetsu declared, swinging her naginata once and creating a tornado beneath Jack's feet.

"What the hell?" Jack yelled in disbelief before he was suddenly swept up by said tornado.

Jack the Drought was swept into the air several hundred feet above the Mammoth. Fūgetsu, meanwhile, started flying upwards, creating barriers of Solid Air below Jack. "This is the end!" Fūgetsu yelled as the tornado vanished, leaving Jack to reach the highest point, peaking. "Double Tornado!"

Fūgetsu then swung the naginata downwards, creating another tornado that slammed into Jack, pushing him downwards and through each barrier of Solid Air, adding to his impact. Eventually, Jack was slammed into a particularly strong barrier that stopped him from destroying the Mammoth on impact, but also knocked the billion beri man out.

Jack's glassy eyes were wide with disbelief. Even while unconscious, the man simply could not believe he had been defeated. Fūgetsu then calmly floated to the ground as her eyes returned to normal. Applause amongst her comrades broke out. "And that's why we're awesome." Riku grinned. "We just showed one of the four best crews in this world what for without even breaking a sweat!"

"Hell yeah we did!" Ikazuchi cheered.

Then, another loud crash rang out as something slammed into the Mammoth. The Gates and General Fūgetsu looked and gasped to see a defeated Kaido sprawled out on his back as well. "Lord Chitsujo did it!" Riseko cheered.

"Of course he did!" Kanji grinned. "His Majesty is the best!"

Fūgetsu blushed like a schoolgirl in love. "He is, isn't he?"

The woman was then all business as she turned to a few cowering Beasts Pirates who were still standing. "I think you boys know what to do." She said. "Take your comrades and go in peace."

"Yes ma'am," the pirates said fearfully, "umm, is there anything else you'd like?"

"Just remind your bosses when they wake up they better not touch Dressrosa." Fūgetsu said to them.

"Hey, anything you want as long as you don't hurt us anymore." The pirate in the lead responded.

Fūgetsu then moved back to their vessel, which was still anchored next to the Mammoth. "Come on, everyone," she said, "we're going back to Dressrosa."

"Yes ma'am," The Gates all saluted as they followed their leader.

Meanwhile, on the Queen Mama Chanter, Charlotte Linlin was on her knees, moments away from passing out. "I'll ask you one more time." Chitsujo said patiently. "Will you accept _my_ terms."

Linlin weakly nodded. Chitsujo nodded and calmly passed her. At that moment, Linlin began falling forward. "A pleasure doing business with you," Chitsujo sarcastically said to her as Linlin fell and lost consciousness.

Chitsujo then let his Diamond Bubbles burst, safely dropping those he had encased to protect them from his fight. He was immediately drawn to two conscious presences. He knew of one, but was surprised by the other. "Awake already, huh?" Chitsujo looked over his shoulder. "You really are their finest weapon, Charlotte Katakuri."

Katakuri was staring at Chitsujo in shock. He gazed at his beaten mother. "Do you intend to avenge your mother?" Chitsujo inquired.

Katakuri shook his head. "No," he said, "I've seen the results of that future. I will only invite ruin. You win, Your Excellency. We won't touch Dressrosa. I'll make sure Mama does not forget her promise, for the sake of our crew's future."

Chitsujo nodded in satisfaction. "I'll be heading into the captain's quarters." Katakuri said. "The troops in Cracker's fleet need to be informed of our retreat."

"Thank you for your cooperation, Katakuri." Chitsujo said. "May you live a happy life."

"A strange thing to say to an enemy." Katakuri noted.

Chitsujo nodded. "I do not wish for anyone to be my enemies, Katakuri." He admitted. "My dream is to see this universe at peace."

Katakuri fell silent for a moment before chuckling. "You look even further into the future than I do." He joked before entering the captain's quarters to send a message to Cracker's fleet.

Chitsujo then turned his attention to the other conscious presence. "You can reveal yourself now, Vinsmoke Reiju." He ordered of the eldest child in the Vinsmoke Family.

Vinsmoke Reiju got to her feet, gazing at Chitsujo in disbelief. "You warned me with telepathy before you blasted everyone with Conqueror's Haki." Reiju noted. "Why?"

"You forget, Reiju, my role is to watch over the entire universe, I am aware of most people and their motivations. For example, I am aware that you still love your long-lost brother, and you despise your father for what he has done to your family."

Reiju wanted to weep, but found herself lacking the emotions to do so. "I hate my existence, My Lord. I've never felt human before, and to me, that is the ultimate curse when you are supposed to be human." She admitted. "And I hate my father even more for taking that away from me."

"I envy Sanji. He may be Germa's failure, but he's also Mother's success." Reiju continued.

Chitsujo then surprised Reiju by giving her a smile. "Reiju," he said, "the fact that you feel hate for your father and envy for your brother, means that you are capable of feeling love."

Reiju's eyes widened, realizing the logic in those words. She was then shaken even further by his next statement. "Reiju, you _are_ human."

At that moment, Vinsmoke Reiju dropped to her knees and did something she did not think were possible. She cried tears of joy. At that moment, those four words wiped away all of Vinsmoke Judge's conditioning. "You're right," she said, "thank you, My Lord."

Chitsujo nodded. "I was happy to help." He said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go."

"Wait, Your Majesty!" Reiju called out.

Chitsujo looked over his shoulder. "Yes, Reiju?"

"Sanji," Reiju said in concern, blushing in embarrassment at inquiring of her brother, "is he…happy?"

Chitsujo smiled. "Yes," he said, "he's found friends who love and appreciate him for what he is, just like you told him he would."

Reiju smiled. "I'm so happy to hear that," she said, "umm…Your Majesty?"

"Yes?"

"Could you please tell Sanji…that his big sister misses him, and wishes things could've been different."

Chitsujo nodded without hesitation. "I'll make sure he gets the message." He said. "He'll be shocked, all things considered, but I'm sure he'll appreciate it."

"Also," Reiju said, "if there's anything I can do for you to show my gratitude, just name it, I will do it."

Chitsujo was surprised by this, but nodded. He reached into his pocket and revealed a transponder snail. "I was hoping I could give this to Pekoms, but I fear he may be too loyal to Linlin." He admitted. "However, I think you would be far more suitable."

Chitsujo handed this to Reiju, who placed it inside of her shirt. "Reiju," he said, "if you ever wish to contact me with any information on the activities of the Big Mom Pirates and Germa 66, just use that transponder snail."

"And one day, if you ever decide to go from spy to soldier," Chitsujo continued with a warm, welcoming smile, "just let me know, and I'll make the necessary arrangements. I know that the Alliance will happily embrace you, and I know that Menou, my kingdom, will do the same."

Reiju bowed in respect. "Thank you, Your Majesty." She said. "I won't forget your generosity."

Chitsujo nodded. "Just be careful." He said. "I don't want you to get caught."

"Trust me, Sir, no one will ever suspect this adorable face." Reiju joked.

Chitsujo then began to make his way to his small vessel. "Farewell, Reiju," he said, "I hope we can meet again as true allies."

Reiju nodded. _As do I, Your Majesty._ She thought. _The Kingdom of Menou truly seems like a wonderful place if a man as kind as you is king._

Back on the shores of Dressrosa, there was a collective gasp among the people and the troops of the Alliance. "The Big Mom Pirates' fleet is retreating!" Someone shouted. "And look, so is the Beasts Pirates' Mammoth!"

Jura Neekis gasped in shock. "It can't be," he said, "those three vessels and the people on it drove off two powerful crews?"

"Well, don't forget who's on those vessels." Shanks pointed out.

"Even so…" Jura trailed off.

Monkey D. Dragon grinned, impressed with his friend. _You really are the strongest._ He mused.

Then, a few minutes later, three vessels neared the ports of Dressrosa. Suddenly, Chitsujo himself leapt off the bow of one of these vessels. He landed on a dock and raised his fist into the air, victorious. "People of Dressrosa," he said, "you are safe!"

And the crowd went wild…

 **A.N: Oddest name I've ever done for a chapter, am I right? Well, when you've got two characters named Cracker and Jack that are getting smashed in this chapter, you just have to take that into consideration; hence the name: Smashed Crackerjack. Second, it was great to give Suiken and Fūgetsu's backgrounds. Both have wonderful motivations, and it gave me a great chance to show off Chitsujo playing "King Dad." Oh yeah, and we got to meet the Queen of Menou, Takara, wife of Chitsujo and founder of the orphanage in the palace, Takara's Home. Why is she not in the present? I think you all know why.  
**

 **I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Next time, a brief celebration of victory, and a buildup to the first Alliance arc.**


	6. Chapter 6: Bathing in the Light

**A.N: Hey…yikes, this took awhile. I don't know if I should apologize for this, honestly, considering I did say that things would be crazy from now on because of my schedule. And now, I'm going to have to make an important but kinda unhappy announcement, too. Read through the whole thing, this is kinda important.**

 **Over the past few months, my schedule has worn on me immensely. Job hunting itself is a full time job, I'm interning at an office to gain office experience to make myself more marketable as a potential employee, I'm working on publishing Age of Heroes' first book: The Hero and the Student (currently, I'm submitting it to literary agents). I'm researching classes needed to earn a programming certificate at a local college, and then there's all the writing I'm supposed to be doing as a hobby. Needless to say everyone, I'm a few days away from having a breakdown from all the stress. I've barely had time to play video games, which is usually my only way of decompressing. So, with great regret, I'm afraid that after this chapter and the upcoming Wild Hunt chapter, which is going through some edits now, I'm afraid I'm going to have to step away for a month at most, decompress, gain some balance in my life and find some peace of mind. I'm sorry, but I have to think about my health, and right now, I am not well, mentally. I'll be back.**

 **So for now, enjoy the last chapter for awhile.**

 **Chapter 6: Bathing in the Light**

Riku Dold III could only gaze at the twenty-six soldiers, whom were standing at attention, with nothing but gratitude for all of them. "Not too long ago," he began, "this kingdom was saved by foreigners, people who had no reason to fight for our sake. And today…we were saved again by foreigners."

King Riku gave them all a grandfatherly smile. "You have no idea how happy I am to know you all are our allies. Thank you for saving my kingdom."

The Arch Generals, and their Gates, all bowed in respect to their host. "And thank you, my friend." King Riku turned to Chitsujo, who was gazing at his soldiers with pride as well. "Know that the Riku Family do not forget their debts. Thick or thin, you will have our support, and I know the rest of Dressrosa agrees."

Chitsujo smiled and nodded. "Riku Dold III," he mused, "the man who would rather stare an enemy army down with a mighty glare than take his country to war. Know that your unwavering support to the war effort means a lot to me for that very reason."

Chitsujo then turned his attention to his troops. "And you all have every reason to be proud." He said to them. "Well, done, all of you."

Suiken laughed at this. "Well, what can I say, we are pretty awesome, so it was nothing." He said, going off into one of his rants. "But please, by all means, praise us more. Praise me more. Somebody do it. Show a little gratitude, eh? I've yet to meet a man who doesn't like praise and gratitude!"

Chitsujo sweat-dropped at the behavior of his trusted general. Fūgetsu smacked her comrade in the back of the head without even looking, as though she were doing it out of habit at this point. "I'm sorry, King Riku, he's always like this." She admitted. "And I apologize to you as well, Lord Chitsujo, an Arch General should not be embarrassing you like this."

The Gates all chuckled at Fūgetsu playing the overly professional role to Suiken's quirky personality. It always made for great entertainment. Chitsujo laughed. "Fūgetsu, I keep encouraging all of you to be yourselves, quirks and all." He reminded the master of wind. "What's the one thing I always tell you?"

Awami immediately leapt up and raised her hand like a kid in school. "Ooh, ooh, I know, sir, I know!" She yelled.

Chitsujo smiled while King Riku was taken aback by Awami's bubbly personality. "Now just remember, Awami, I tell you all a lot of things to fulfill the role of guide and teacher. What am I trying to tell you in this particular case?"

"The most important thing is what's in your heart!" Awami said with a cheer.

Chitsujo nodded, satisfied with Awami's answer. "You have fantastic comrades, Lord Chitsujo." King Riku told him. "They remind me of my own loyal citizens and soldiers."

"It pays to be a good king, Riku." Chitsujo told him before addressing the young martial artist in the crowd. "Not you, Riku, I'm referring to King Riku."

"It's okay, Your Majesty." Riku grinned. "Names can be tough when they're popular and multiple people have 'em. The universe dodged a bullet when Vinsoke Sanji was named the way he was. He almost got named Naruto. No offense to Sanji, but we can't have a savior of his own world sharing a name with someone else. That would be too damn complicated."

"He never did look like a Naruto." Chitsujo admitted, remembering that point in time.

"Umm, getting back on track." King Riku spoke up. "Is there anything you'd like as a reward to show Dressrosa's gratitude. I know you all would claim that you're only doing this out of loyalty to your king, and care for your allies, but you must understand, not just anyone would risk their lives for someone else by taking on not one but two of the Four Emperors and their crews. That deserves a reward of some sort."

"That's not up to me." Chitsujo pointed out. "I will step aside and allow my comrades to decide themselves."

Upon hearing his indirect permission, Atsuki's hand shot up like an excited schoolboy. "A feast!" He declared. "Ever since this war started, we haven't had a chance to just kick back, relax and enjoy a great feast!"

"That's how wars work, Atsuki." Fuyumi pointed out, irritated with her friend.

Then, much to the surprise and amusement of everyone present, a stomach growled loudly. Everyone looked at Fuyumi's, who's pale face blushed red with embarrassment and slight rage. She then coughed, regaining her composure. "That being said," she said, "we did do a lot of work today. Decimating two despicable pirate crews to protect the innocent…does work up an appetite."

Tabe laughed in amusement and jubilation. "Yes, a feast!" He yelled. "We want a feast!"

"Is a feast all you want then?" King Riku inquired.

Atsuki grinned. "Not just a feast, King Riku," he responded, "I think I speak for all of us when we say some R&R has been earned."

"Don't go _that_ far, Atsuki." Riku looked somewhat irritated with his comrade's statements. "Those pirates had no chance against us. That whole mess was the equivalent of a really long workout."

"I know that, man." Atsuki told him.

King Riku raised an eyebrow at Atsuki's next question. "Are there any hot springs here in Dressrosa?"

And so, the Gates and Arch Generals of Menou were treated to a delicious feast as a celebration for their victory over Big Mom and Kaido. Was it hedonistic of them to do this while a war went on? If it were anyone else, yes, but considering the Alliance's tendency to celebrate every major victory (Shunsui Kyōraku was often discovered drunk, passed out, and in his underwear after every victory, and he was the Regimental Commander of the Fighting Divisions), it was arguably okay.

Tabe obviously ate the most portions, what with him being the largest and fattest of the group. However, what surprised nearly everyone in Dressrosa was how many the rest of the Gates and even the Arch Generals ate. What they did not realize was that the higher one's Reiki, the greater their appetites were. So, the chefs of Dressrosa found themselves unprepared for this feast.

Thankfully, the Gates and Arch Generals were all extremely grateful for what they received. And now, with this time to relax, the soldiers of Menou could show the full depths of their camaraderie.

"It's no fair." Ikazuchi said with a pout, gazing at Suiken and his Gates. "You guys got to fight an entire fleet, and we only got to fight one freaking ship. You guys got more. No fair, no fair, no fair!"

Kū heaved a sigh. "Oh quiet down, Ikazuchi." She said. "It's not like the quality of those soldiers were any better, it was just the quantity. You guys would've done the same amount of damage if our situations had been reversed."

"How did you find the Beasts Pirates?" Sagan asked of Fūgetsu and her Gates, surprisingly curious on the matter. "Even if we were more than enough for them, they were still one of the Four Emperor crews."

"They are definitely strong." Hikari complimented almost immediately. "They probably feel so humiliated, considering we decimated them with such small numbers, but that doesn't change the fact they are quite dangerous. If they had sent all of their forces, or if Kaido had fought with them instead of His Majesty, we would've definitely had more trouble."

"Hikari is right," Fūgetsu heaved a sigh, "we can't rest on our laurels. We all took advantage of a favorable situation and won because of it. It helped that the enemy was probably confused and demoralized when their leader had been unable to defeat His Majesty."

"But if I had to fight Kaido, that fight would've been much more evenly matched. I'm not even a hundred percent positive I could've won that fight, the way Sir Setsudo did when he went to negotiate with the man."

"Yeah, but Sir Setsudo is insanely strong, all the Saint Warriors are." Kanji pointed out. "That shouldn't take away from our accomplishments today, Chief."

"They don't." Fūgetsu shook her head. "But perspective is important."

"Wise words, General." Gōken nodded. "True masters always reflect after their battles. That reminds me, Riku, I expect you to join me for meditation later tonight. It is important for the both of us to reflect on today's events."

Riku sighed. He hated meditation. He would much rather be outside training his body. "Yes, Sensei," he obediently complied, knowing that Gōken would not accept a no. The last time he said no, Riku got put in an armlock for his troubles.

"Tomoyuki," Fuyumi addressed her little brother, surprising him.

"Yes!" Tomoyuki shrieked.

"How did you fare today?" Fuyumi inquired. "I apologize for being unable to see the fruits of your labor."

"Oh, um, I think I did pretty well today." Tomoyuki said nervously. "Not as well as you probably did, Big Sister."

Riseko laughed. "Don't be so modest, Tomo, that Blizzard Rush of yours was incredible." She complimented, making Tomoyuki blush in embarrassment.

"You won't be a Bronze Gate for long if you keep improving the way you are, Tomo." Hitomi promised.

"Che, if Tomoyuki wants to become a Silver Gate, one of us will need to either be promoted or die." Kōga pointed out.

"Aww, don't tell him that," Kumo grinned, "he'll freak out."

"Well, I don't want that to happen!" Tomoyuki frantically denied.

"See what I mean." Kumo laughed. "Little Tomo gets so flustered when he hears that he's gotta step over someone else. He's as pure as the snow he manipulates. A prime target for a little torment."

"Tomoyuki understands what must be done for him to improve." Fuyumi said of her younger brother. "For one thing, he'll never amount to anything if he doesn't improve his confidence."

Tomoyuki sighed. "I know, Big Sister." He said sadly.

Riseko gave Tomoyuki a sympathetic smile. She knew Fuyumi meant well, but it was hard to play the role of loving mother and strict father in their family of two. The poor girl had to grow up quickly when it ended up being just her and her little brother, too quickly, unfortunately.

"Anyway," Hikari spoke up, "enough about us, what about the rest of you? How did you find the Big Mom Pirates? They too have quite the reputation."

Hikari turned to Kuronuma. "I'm sure you did quite well against them regardless, right Kuronuma?" She asked of the master of darkness.

Kuronuma instinctively blushed at the master of light speaking to him. "Umm, well," he said nervously, "they were as strong as their reputation stated, but they were no match for us in the grand scheme of things. We were smart in how we divided our forces. The Gold Gates were enough for her elder children, the Silver Gates enough for her other children, and the Bronze enough for her remaining henchmen. General Suiken was smart in how we operated."

Yuto grinned. "Not bad, buddy," he whispered to Kuronuma, "that's the most you've ever been able to say around her."

Kuronuma coughed. "I am perfectly capable of being professional around Ms. Hikari." He claimed.

"That's a fat load of crap and you know it." Saizō teased in good humor.

"As Kuronuma said, they were as tough as their reputations claimed, but no trouble for us." Gintarō picked up the slack. "Perhaps we would've had a bit more trouble had their forces been more complete."

"I agree," Sagan spoke up, "our plan was perfectly executed. Their forces were reeling from the very idea of Big Mom losing to the king."

"It's the inevitable result of a cult of personality, surrounding someone of such strength." Sagan continued with his wise words. "If the cult breaks down due to that strength failing, they become vulnerable."

"It seems to be something of a pattern." Fuyumi noted. "A lot of these villains we and our comrades have faced off against have built a sort of cult of personality around their leaders. If you want to be technical about it, it goes to show us all how grateful we are to be residents of Menou."

"That's right, King Chitsujo encourages us all to stand on our own and be the best versions of ourselves." Kū grinned. "We're our own cults of personalities in that sense."

"Bah, who cares about all the technical stuff." Atsuki spoke up. "The important thing is we kicked their asses into next year!"

"And it was awesome!" Awami and Kyū cheered.

"The world got to see my handsomeness in action." Sendō said vainly.

"Let's just hope it's the last thing we're involved with for awhile, I need a break." Hanta groaned.

Suiken grinned. "Damn straight," he said, "we showed them what for, and they'll think twice before they decide to mess with us, and our friends again."

Suiken raised his glass in a toast. "Well, done, everyone." He said. "I want to propose this toast to our victory. May we continue to do great things in service to our kingdom, our king, our friends, and our allies."

"To our victory!" The Gates and Fūgetsu said in agreement, toasting as well.

Atsuki gleefully downed his drink as quickly as he could. And then announced. "Now let's finish up our chow as quickly as possible, so that we can get to the true reward!" He loudly proclaimed.

Everyone gazed at Atsuki in confusion and irritation. "That's right!" Atsuki continued, ignoring the stares he was getting. "It's time for us to bathe!"

"But I'm still eating my steak." Tomoyuki said quietly.

"BATH TIME!" Atsuki loudly declared.

And so, everyone quickly finished their last courses and were lead to Dressrosa's finest hot spring. The eight women receiving this reward, all clad in bath towels, were the first to react to this amazing place as they entered the women's side. Awami and Kyū said what they were all thinking. "This place is awesome!" They yelled in unison as they bounced around the area.

"Hey you two," Hikari said with a concerned smile, "don't jump around like that, you don't want to slip and fall."

"Ah, look on the bright side, if they do fall, at least they'd be falling into water, and that is kinda the point here." Kū noted, folding her arms under her large chest.

"No need to worry, Hikari," Hitomi spoke up, revealing that she had unravelled part of her fingers into strings, "I've got some strings surrounding them to keep them propped up."

Hikari smiled. "Thank you, Hitomi." She said to her friend.

Fuyumi and Fūgetsu both remained silent, taking in their surroundings. Riseko, however, had no intention of just standing there. She quickly made the first move. "Well, come on, what are we waiting for?" She asked moving towards the water. "We can't exactly enjoy the hot springs without actually soaking in them."

Everyone watched as Riseko moved to the edge of the springs, removed her towel and then sunk into the water. "Ah," she moaned with glee, "I can already feel the tension leaving my body. It feels _so_ good."

Awami and Kyū both threw off their towels. "Cannonball!" They screamed in unison, leaping into the water and dousing Riseko completely, much to their friend's slight irritation.

"And the tension has returned." She muttered.

Kū and Hitomi both laughed at Riseko's state and gazed at each other. "Well, she's got a point." Kū told Hitomi. "We did come here to relax in these springs."

"Yeah," Hitomi returned her fingers to normal, "I really need a break. Using my Art always leaves me a bit sore afterwards."

Kū and Hitomi both removed their towels and entered the hot springs. Hikari looked at Fuyumi and Fūgetsu. "Well, General, Fuyumi, shall we?"

Fūgetsu and Fuyumi both nodded and the last three entered the hot springs. Soon, the girls were all relaxing, enjoying the nice long soak, and each other's company. Hitomi then suddenly grinned perversely, gazing at Kū. "Heya, Kū," Hitomi teased, "did your boobs get bigger?"

Kū looked down at her floating chest and sighed. "Ugh, damn things just keep floating to the top." She lamented before glaring comically at Hitomi. "And quit staring at me, Hitomi, you've got your own tits, don't you?"

Hitomi laughed. "Hey, just because I love having guys figuratively and literally wrapped around my finger, doesn't mean I can't appreciate a nice pair, right? And even if you are the biggest tomboy in Menou, you've still arguably got the best pair in Menou as well."

Hitomi, of course, was lying, she had never been in a serious relationship before. In fact, she was a bit too nervous and shy to ever be in a serious relationship. Nervous, shy and also a bit too big of a closet pervert, thanks to some of the magazines she liked to read…namely ones of bondage. Leave it to the master of strings to be into bondage.

Meanwhile, Awami and Kyū both glared jealously at Kū and her large chest…mainly because of their own modest chests in comparison to hers. "Oi you two, quit your staring!" Kū yelled, embarrassed and annoyed.

"Aww, don't be so mad, Kū." Hitomi still could not resist teasing her friends. "They've just got a case of A-Cup angst. Well, A-Cup in Awami's case, B-Cup in Kyū's."

"Still," Hitomi continued, relaxing in the water some more, "I think we can all agree that the title of the most beautiful woman in Menou goes to our very own Gold Gate, Hikari."

Hikari laughed off that praise. "Come now, Hitomi, that can't be me. Lady Kanja and General Fūgetsu are much prettier than me. And you can't discount Lady Jun as well. A lot of boys in the army think she's quite adorable."

"Well, it does kinda depend on taste." Hitomi admitted. "Lady Kanja is a more mature beauty, like that super sexy teacher the boys in school lust after. Lady Jun is like an adorable junior you can't help but want to protect. Just the most precious cinnamon roll, too pure and good for this world."

"And what about General Fūgetsu?" Hikari asked.

"General Fūgetsu is a bit too serious." Hitomi pointed out. "What sets you apart, my beautiful Hikari, is that you are beautiful on both the outside and the inside. In fact, I did a survey!"

 _She can't be serious._ Kū groaned inwardly.

"And the survey said that Golden Gate Hikari is without a doubt the most beautiful woman in the army!" Hitomi declared. "With Lady Jun coming in second."

Fūgetsu frowned slightly at Hitomi's statements. Something Hikari noticed. "Hitomi, perhaps we should put a pin in this discussion, before we say something…hurtful."

Hitomi noticed Fūgetsu's mood, and to her credit, looked ashamed. "Sorry, General," she said, "I promise, it's all in good fun."

"No, it's fine, Hitomi," Fūgetsu said uncaringly, "just go back to staring at Kū."

"DON'T ENCOURAGE HER!" Kū yelled.

Hikari just laughed at Kū's distress. She then noticed that Fūgetsu still seemed a bit down about something. "What's wrong, General?" She inquired.

"Hmm?" Fūgetsu responded uncaringly.

"I said, what's wrong?" Hikari inquired. "Come now, just because I'm lower ranked, doesn't mean you can't talk to me about your problems. And I do like to think that in spite of our difference in rank, we are good friends."

Fūgetsu smiled in gratitude. She absolutely loved Hikari's kind heart. It was why she specifically recruited her to her army as one of her Gold Gates. Back in Hikari's academy days, Fūgetsu heard the story of a girl who was kind to everyone she came across. She was curious because she was somehow kinder than she was skilled, and she was apparently quite the prodigy.

So, Fūgetsu went down to her old academy to see this girl for herself, and she was absolutely blown away. This was a girl who was nice and polite to every single person she met. She was undoubtably one of the kindest people Fūgetsu has ever met. She was also arguably one of the best prodigies to come out of the officer's academy in a long time, and yet she did not use that as an excuse to lord over anyone. She was a perfect leader in Menou's forces. Strong but kindhearted, and Fūgetsu recruited her on the spot as one of her Gold Gates.

In other words, she was undoubtably a person Fūgetsu could confide in. So, the Arch General heaved a sigh and began to open up to Hikari. "Hikari," she said, "I need to ask you a question."

"Of course, anything, General." Hikari said kindly.

Fūgetsu took a deep breath. "Is it wrong for me…to have these kinds of feelings…for _him_." She said.

Hikari's smile faded. She knew exactly whom she was referring to; King Chitsujo. It was no secret among the women in the Gates and Saint Warriors that Fūgetsu had a huge crush on Menou's King. Now, to be fair, Hikari could see why. Chitsujo was kind, handsome, and immensely protective of his allies. He was without a doubt perfect husband material.

However, there was an issue. King Chitsujo was still in love with his long-deceased queen, Takara. And that itself was easy to understand. Queen Takara was long considered to be the Angel of Menou, even in death. She was kind, beautiful, and utterly dedicated to her husband and her people.

And then she died, tragically, murdered by an unknown assailant—many speculated he was from the No-Man's Land part of their world—that was quickly dealt with by a vengeful Chitsujo. And not only has Chitsujo not been able to move on, but their entire kingdom has not either. When Queen Takara died, it felt like the kingdom had part of its soul ripped out. And that did not even begin to cover the effect it had on their king.

First, there was the sheer destruction Chitsujo caused in his rampage for revenge. People still did not go anywhere near the area he tore apart, hunting down his wife's murderer. The very thought of being near the place where their king was pushed over the edge frightened them. Then there were the days of mourning. The Saint Warriors had to take over and run the kingdom while Chitsujo locked himself in his chambers and mourned endlessly. And after all of that, even though he put on his best smile for his kingdom, the king still had not remarried. He simply loved Takara too much to move on.

That last fact made it particularly hard for women like Fūgetsu to act on their feelings. However, there were still plenty of other issues with Fūgetsu's feelings. Takara had been the perfect queen, and arguably the perfect woman. Everyone knew that. How could anyone replace her? To even think of it, let alone attempt it, was an unspoken sin among the people of Menou.

So as tragic as it sounded, asking if it was wrong for Fūgetsu to have the feelings she had was a perfectly valid question. So, Hikari took a deep breath and thought her answer over. This was definitely a tough question to answer.

At least, not until she realized she could give Fūgetsu hope, but also remind her how difficult this situation was for her. "It's not wrong for you to have those kinds of feelings." Hikari said. "I mean, really, General, every girl has dreamt of marrying royalty at some point."

"It's not a sin to fall in love, General." Hikari assured her before adding with complete seriousness. "But you need to remember that His Majesty still loves Queen Takara."

Fūgetsu nodded. "And most likely, he always will." Hikari pointed out. "I still remember going to balls with Papa and Mother when I was a little girl, and I would see those two dancing together. Even back then, when I was little and didn't truly understand love, I could see the sheer devotion they had for each other. You cannot replicate that."

"So then is it pointless?" Fūgetsu wondered.

"No," Hikari shook her head, "but you need to understand that you cannot make the king fall in love with you, not when he still carries such strong feelings for Queen Takara. If your feelings are going to be returned, then he needs to return them himself."

"And if he doesn't, then I'm afraid your love will simply have to remain a far-off dream." Hikari said sympathetically.

Fūgetsu heaved a sigh and sadly smiled. "I…figured that would end up being the case."

"For what it's worth, General, you'd make a fine queen, but that doesn't mean we will ever have another." Hikari told her.

Fūgetsu had to agree with that. "Yes," she nodded, "there will only ever be one Queen Takara."

Fūgetsu then smiled, truly grateful for Hikari's words. "You're a good friend, Hikari." She told her. "Thank you."

Hikari nodded and smiled back. "A Gate's duty is to attend to her general's needs, on and off the battlefield, Ma'am." She said with a smile. "I'm just doing my job."

Meanwhile, on the men's side of the hot springs, the many boys of Menou's army were surprisingly subdued inside of the relaxing springs of Dressrosa. "Now this is more like it." Riku grinned. "I don't even care that I'm naked around you bunch of loons."

Gōken laughed in agreement. "Just what I need to soothe these old joints of mine." He admitted.

"These hot springs are amazing, aren't they." Ikazuchi said in a blissful tone as he backstroked in front of Riku and Gōken. "This is true happiness."

Riku's eyes bulged out of their sockets as he glared at Ikazuchi for the unwanted nude shot. "You dumbass!" He yelled. "If you're going to swim, do a front crawl, not a backstroke where I can see everything!"

"Shut up, Riku." Gintarō said in slight annoyance. "We're all trying to relax here, and frankly, the best way to do that when Ikazuchi's around, is to tune him out."

"Ugh…" Riku groaned like a spoiled child. "How the hell am I supposed to ignore him when he's like that, huh?"

Meanwhile, Yuto took note of Kōga's odd presence in the springs. "Kōga, why are you still wearing your mask."

"None of your damn business." Kōga responded, indeed still wearing his mask.

Yuto was taken aback by Kōga's response. "Fine then." He muttered, accepting the response.

Yuto then saw Tomoyuki, who looked visibly uncomfortable. "Tomo, are you okay, buddy?" He asked.

"I'm fine," Tomoyuki lied before deciding to tell the truth, "well…okay, maybe I'm not, I've just never really been good with heat."

"You should get out then." Yuto said in concern.

"No, I like to think that this is one of the ways I can man up." Tomoyuki said, smiling weakly. "Besides, other than this heat, the water's great."

Yuto still did not look convinced. "Hey, Kumo," he addressed the nearest person, "do me a favor and help me pull Tomoyuki out when he inevitably collapses from the heat, alright?"

Kumo grinned. "Just as long as I get to watch him torture himself for a bit longer."

"Dude, seriously?" Yuto frowned. "Ugh, whatever, I'm not going to call you out on that because I know you mean well. You're just super freaking weird."

Yuto then noticed something else weird and sighed. "And speaking of weird," he muttered before addressing that something else, "hey, Atsuki, why are you looking at that wall? Do you suddenly want to be an architect or something?"

"Men," Atsuki said in a grandiose voice, "beyond that wall, are eight beauties bathing completely naked."

At that moment, every single other face deadpanned at Atsuki's behavior. "Well, I think we now know why Atsuki wanted to celebrate in the hot springs so badly." Riku muttered.

"Yes, Atsuki, we're quite aware of that." Suiken sounded surprisingly patient as he relaxed in the hot springs. "Almost all hot springs have a women's side. In fact, some even have mixed bathing. Of course, there was no way in hell any woman in our army would want something like that."

"I think you're all missing the point." Atsuki continued with a perverse grin. "On the other side are eight beautiful, naked women. Kū with her incredible chest; Awami and Kyū's cute, petite bodies, General Fūgetsu's stern, cold gaze contrasting with her own feminine form; Riseko with her idol's body; Hitomi with her unique hairstyle and curves. Men, I'm going to be perfectly frank here. There is a treasure trove of beauty and nudity on the other side of this wall, and I intend to see it all."

"Oh yeah, peep on female soldiers who can level towns, cities and even countries, _that's_ a recipe for success." Yuto said sarcastically.

"Oh don't bother him, he's on a role." Kumo brushed him off.

Atsuki noticed that not a single person had been fired up by his speech, so he tried again. "Come on, where's your enthusiasm, your male pride?" Atsuki demanded. "Don't you see, as men, it is our sworn duty to feast our eyes on those treasures, by any means necessary!"

"I'm pretty sure that's not a man's sworn duty, Atsuki." Kuronuma said shyly. "In fact, I think it's the opposite."

Atsuki grinned, knowing there was a way he could get Kuronuma involved. "You know, I forgot to mention her, but Hikari, the most beautiful soldier in the army is also bathing on the women's side."

Kuronuma blushed at the thought of seeing his crush naked. "Don't even think about it, Kuronuma, no decent woman wants to be seen naked before she's got her eye on a guy and certainly not Hikari." Suiken said calmly.

"Fine, so I obviously cannot count on Kuronuma and General Suiken, but what about the rest of you, my brothers?" Atsuki inquired. "Will you join me in this glorious crusade for visual pleasures?"

"No," everyone, even the typically silent Iwamoto, responded without hesitation.

Tomoyuki then added with a nervous chuckle. "If it's all the same to you, Atsuki, I'd rather not peep on my big sister."

"You are exempt, Tomo." Atsuki said to him. "As for the rest of you, you all should be ashamed of yourselves."

"Oh hi, Kettle, my name is Pot." Yuto sarcastically responded.

Atsuki cracked his knuckles and then dug his fingers right into the wall, showing surprising finger strength. Then, much to the surprise of everyone, he began pulling himself to the top of the divider to get a good look at the heaven that existed on the other side.

Suiken heaved a sigh as he watched his Silver Gate in action, not even bothering to try and stop him. "I can't help but think of the kind of headway we'd make if he were this dedicated to his job." He mused.

 _Yes, yes, yes!_ Atsuki thought gleefully. _This is what it means to be a soldier! To climb the walls of difficulty to achieve your goals!_

Then, as soon as Atsuki's hands reached the top of the divider, they were suddenly frozen _to_ the divider, leaving Atsuki dangling helplessly in the air. Fuyumi blushed in embarrassment and anger as she glared at the top of the divider, where Atsuki's frozen hands were. "Stupid bastard," she snarled, furious with her childhood friend, "did he really think we couldn't hear him?"

"That was ice cold." Riku's mouth dropped open in shock.

"And not necessarily undeserved," Suiken added.

"Umm…should we help Atsuki?" Tomoyuki asked.

"The heat will melt that ice eventually, we shouldn't help him because he won't learn if we do." Sagan noted.

And so, the Gates and Generals returned to enjoying each other's company in the hot springs…except for Atsuki, who dangled helplessly in the air, screaming for someone to come up and help him to no avail.

Meanwhile, on board the damaged Queen Mama Chanter, Charlotte Linlin groaned as she stirred from unconsciousness. "Did you enjoy your nap, Mama?"

Linlin turned to see her second son, Charlotte Katakuri, sitting calmly while munching on some jellybeans that he was oddly dropping inside his scarf before eating. "Katakuri," Linlin said weakly, "what happened? Did I really lose?"

"I'm afraid so, Mama, and not just you." Katakuri said grimly. "The Big Mom Pirates suffered a complete and utter defeat today. Cracker and the rest of our family were decimated by those soldiers lead by Lord Chitsujo."

"Lord?" Linlin frowned at how respectful Katakuri was being of the man who bested her.

Katakuri sighed. "Mama, that man humiliated us, beat us to a pulp, and then let us go, provided we stay away from Dressrosa. A man with that much power and that much restraint deserves a little bit of fear and respect."

Linlin growled. "He's going to pay…"

"Mama, if we provoke him again, he will destroy us." Katakuri calmly warned his mother. "You cannot create your utopia if you are dead."

Linlin seemed to consider Katakuri's words. "And think of it this way," Katakuri continued, "if we let this Alliance eliminate Blackbeard, his territories are ours for the taking. More protectorates means more candy tributes for you. And if Kaido decides to try again, he might not get off as easy next time, which means even his territories could one day be ours. That would leave us and Red Haired Shanks as the only uncontested forces in the new world."

Linlin instinctively licked her lips at that. Katakuri knew he was walking on eggshells when trying to stop his mother from doing what she wanted. However, he had to think of Totland's wellbeing. "Mama, I don't like not getting back at those people any more than you do," Katakuri claimed, "after all, blood needs to be answered with blood, especially when it's our blood. However, we need to think of Totland's future, and the great business that could come from letting those two sides kill each other and letting Kaido decide to be stupid."

Linlin seemed to think it over and then nodded. "Katakuri," she said, "when Perospero wakes up, have him call a family for our return to Totland. As a family, we should discuss what territories of Blackbeard's we should take for ourselves."

Katakuri nodded, a bit relieved by her decision. "Splendid idea, Mama," he placated her, by making it sound like it was all her idea.

Katakuri then looked back out at Dressrosa, which had long faded in the distance. _Peace for the entire universe, huh?_ He mused. _He's got the same dream as Mama, and yet they have such vastly different attitudes towards the matter…_

 _I wish you luck, Lord Chitsujo._ Katakuri continued. _I can't help but want to see…if you really can create a future like that._

Katakuri let a small, respectful smile curl. _I'd very much like to see it._ He admitted.

On the Mammoth, however, we see a very different story. Kaido, who recently regained consciousness, furiously marched over to his quarters, not caring if he stepped on the bodies of any of his wounded crew.

"Broken bones, internal bleeding, scars that will adorn my body for God knows how long before they actually heal," Kaido growled in anger, "and I don't have any kills of my own to show for it!"

Kaido then grabbed a Transponder Snail and spoke furiously into it. "You better answer this!" He screamed. "You better answer this damn it!"

Let it be known that Kaido was screaming into the line while it was ringing on the other end. "Why didn't you tell me they were that powerful, Drake!" Kaido screamed.

On the other end, X-Drake heaved a sigh. "Lord Kaido," he said, "I did warn you. In fact, I specifically warned you that engaging the kingdom of Menou would be unwise even for you. Lord Chitsujo is far beyond your level of strength, so I specifically said, for your own sake, not to engage the man."

"I do not wish to sound rude, but why did you launch an attack on Dressrosa regardless?" Drake inquired.

Kaido narrowed his eyes, growling in anger. "Lord Kaido," Drake said calmly, "please consider my warnings once more. Leave well enough alone. This is one enemy that even you cannot hope to beat."

"Furthermore, consider this an opportunity to take advantage of the chaos and damage caused by this war." Drake continued. "The World Government will fall to the Alliance. It is only a matter of time. So wait for them and Blackbeard to fall, and then you will have free rein to do as you please."

Kaido seemed to consider this. Normally he was incapable of being negotiated with, but even he was somewhat shaken by the beating he received from the King of Menou. "Very well, Drake," he said, "we'll keep our forces back. I want you, Apoo, and Hawkins, however, to continue your assignments. Are we clear?"

"Crystal, Lord Kaido," Drake said calmly.

On the other end of the Transponder Snail, Drake heaved an irritated sigh after hanging up. "This world is truly changing, if even men like Lord Kaido are being put on notice." He mused. "What a time to be alive…"

"Drake," Drake looked over his shoulder to see 3rd Fleet Commander Kakashi Hatake addressing him, "was that Kaido?"

Drake was still uncomfortable with the fact that his superiors knew that he and his comrades were spies for Kaido and had no intention of doing anything about it, under Chitsujo's orders, as long as they gave Kaido the information they wanted him to hear. Like fighting them was the dumbest idea he could have.

"Yes, Commander," Drake said, "Kaido is furious about his defeat, but I've warned him against attacking Dressrosa once more."

Kakashi nodded. "Very good, keep giving Kaido those suggestions, Drake. You're doing some great work for the Alliance."

"For what it's worth," Kakashi continued, "I hope you can one day say you are our true friend and comrade in this Alliance, and not just an ally because of Lord Chitsujo's plans to hold back Kaido."

Drake sighed. "Damn optimist." He muttered in annoyance as Kakashi left.

Although still, Drake had to admit, it was nice, being a part of a group like this. It was like when he joined the Marines to be a part of something great. Perhaps this time it would be for real?

 **(Meanwhile, in the Menou Prisons)**

Inside a dark cell, an incredibly muscular man with fiery red hair was being restrained by chains and a stockade. Both of which were doing their part to seal off his immense power, as per his request.

An attendant entered the cell to address the man. "I have news, General Tsuchimaru." He said. "Generals Suiken and Fūgetsu forces have just driven back an assault perpetrated by Kaido and Big Mom, of the Four Emperors."

"Casualties?" Tsuchimaru the Great Inferno, and current bearer of the Soul of Kagutsuchi, inquired.

"Zero, General." The attendant said.

Tsuchimaru let a small smile curl. "Good," he said, "and what news do you have for me regarding the No-Man's Land?"

"No movement from Rakuen, General," the attendant replied. "Our scouts haven't even seen any movement along the walls. It as though Rakuen has gone completely silent."

"I see," Tsuchimaru seemed to be in deep thought, "they're holding their forces back, saving them for after we finish our campaigns in the other worlds. That much should be obvious."

"If I may, General," the attendant spoke up, "don't you think it's time you end this silliness? The kingdom of Menou could really use your help."

Tsuchimaru gazed at the attendant with golden eyes. "No," he said, "right now, I'm more helpful to my king locked up like this. My rage towards Rakuen has not cooled into mere anger that I can quench with victory on the battlefield. If I leave these bindings, I will march right to Rakuen and burn as much of that kingdom down as possible before I am killed in battle."

"And it won't be just me." Tsuchimaru said, smiling sadly. "My brave, foolish Gates will follow me and die as well. My actions will relieve our kingdom of twelve fine Gates and one Arch General, that's just over a fifth of our most powerful warriors, leaving Menou vulnerable."

"I despise our sister kingdom for breaking thousands of years of tense peace." Tsuchimaru admitted. "And I always will. But I will be damned before I selfishly and permanently deprive my kingdom of a part of its strength."

The attendant sighed, gazing at the bound man. _In your own strange way, General Tsuchimaru, you are a very unselfish and kind man._ He noted.

"Very well, General," the attendant heaved a sigh, "if that's really how you feel, then I will not push the matter."

Tsuchimaru nodded in satisfaction. "Good," he said, "can I expect dinner soon? I'm very hungry."

"Of course, General." The attendant sighed again.

"And…could you please inform His Majesty that I still do not wish to leave my cell just yet, and that I am sorry my rage still has not been sated."

"Of course, General." The attendant repeated as he left the cell, leaving Tsuchimaru to his thoughts.

Were Tsuchimaru a man of weaker character, he would have wept, lamenting his uselessness to the king. Then again, were he a man of weaker character, he would not have entered the prison cell he was in, and demand to be bound in power-sealing security devices to protect his kingdom from his own temper. He would have done exactly as he claimed: march down to Menou with his Gates in tow and get everyone killed.

Tsuchimaru was a man with a temper as violent as the flames he used in battle, but he was no fool. No, he was an Arch General of Menou first and foremost. He was the strongest Arch General, but also the least helpful at the moment. And unfortunately, it would have to remain that way for a bit longer.

 **(Back in Dressrosa)**

Monkey D. Dragon stared at the transponder snail in front of him with surprising intensity for a moment before looking at Chitsujo. "And you gave a transponder snail connected with this to the eldest daughter of the Vinsmoke Family?" He inquired. "Chitsujo, you know I trust your judgement, but you should know the reputation of that family. Germa 66 is widely known as the 'evil army' of the world."

"So is the Revolutionary Army." Chitsujo smiled knowingly. "I would think you'd be better at keeping your prejudices to a minimum, Dragon."

Dragon glared with no malice at his friend. Chitsujo laughed. "I'm only teasing, my friend." He said. "Your uncertainty of having a contact within Germa and by extension, the Big Mom Pirates, is understandable. And believe me, I try to forgive all of my enemies, but even I find the crimes committed by Germa near-unforgivable. Their human experiments are too twisted to be excused."

"However, I think you forget that I am also aware of the light that flickers within the evil of Germa's darkness." Chitsujo reminded him. "The light that is Vinsmoke Reiju, the eldest daughter of the Vinsmoke Family.."

Dragon fell silent at this. Chitsujo's lips curled into a sad frown. "Her words were genuine. She despises what has happened to her family, and despises the man who was the cause of it all, her father, Vinsmoke Judge."

"Not that I blame her," Chitsujo admitted, "there are very few people I keep in genuine contempt, and Judge is one of them for his twisted definition of family."

Dragon gazed at Chitsujo with sympathy. "I get it," he said, "considering the Revolutionary Army's underworld connections, I had heard the stories of what Judge did to his children to make them superhuman. It must have really gotten to you."

"That man could have had a normal, loving family." Chitsujo pointed out. "Something that thousands of people would do anything for. Instead, he chose to be selfish. I will never forgive that man for throwing away what could've been a normal, happy life."

 _Yeah, just as I thought._ Dragon thought grimly. _Chitsujo's experience with his own family has given him tremendous perspective in family dynamics. Of course he'd be pissed off like this if he saw someone take the chance at a normal family and throw it away for whatever reason._

Chitsujo then got back on track. "Anyway, the point is, I trust Reiju." He said. "And we definitely need an informant within Linlin's ranks. It's just too bad we couldn't find anyone within the Beasts Pirates capable of acting as an informant. Once the war is over, Hawkins, Drake and Apoo will probably try to strike out on their own once more, so they're out of the question."

"An informant, huh?" Dragon raised an eyebrow. "That's what you expect her to be?"

Chitsujo nodded. "Just so we can have a little more warning if Linlin decides to attack again. I'd rather not have the people of Dressrosa sent into a panic again. And, if Reiju wishes, she can eventually be extracted from her current situation to become a citizen of Menou."

"Like the offer you gave T-Bone?" Dragon was surprised.

"I do not wish to see good people waste their lives in the service of evil." Chitsujo admitted. "When I was a child, my father used to tell me how he would often come across morally upright men and women who served twisted villains out of fear. To him, taking them from that situation was the equivalent of saving their lives, because it gives them the opportunity to use their good hearts for a better cause. Now granted, Reiju's situation is slightly different. She feels she can't leave her father due to her programming. That's why, I'm giving her the opportunity to decide for herself if and when she wishes to join Menou."

"But enough about Reiju," Chitsujo said, "what's the status of our fleets?"

"They are currently moving along their designated paths." Dragon explained. "We should be hearing of activity within a few days."

Chitsujo took a deep breath. "Then it's finally begun." He mused. "If you don't mind, Dragon, I'm going to rest and pray for awhile. That battle may have been easy, but combat is always physically and mentally draining."

Dragon nodded in understanding. However, there was one last thing he wanted to know about. "What was the point of those stories your father used to tell you?" He asked, curious. "Surely not to get you to go to sleep when you were a kid."

When Dragon was a child, his father would fill him with stories of heroism in the marines, only for him to be disappointed by their corruption when he was older. He was admittedly curious as to what kind of stories Kaishi used to tell his son.

"The point of those stories," Chitsujo began, "was to teach that evil begins at the top."

"At the top, huh?" Dragon narrowed his eyes, remembering the Celestial Dragons.

Chitsujo nodded. "And from there, you must decide for yourself at what point you can no longer excuse the actions of those who serve evil. Do you find out if they take the same sadistic glee in ruling over others? Do you discover their living circumstances, to see if they had loved ones who would have suffered had they not followed orders? Questions like those need to be answered when you go on a journey to defeat evil."

Speaking of evil, why don't we take this opportunity to revisit Rakuen; specifically, the leader of the Nine Dark Circles, the 9th Circle and the vilest of the bunch, Uragiri the Treachery. The sadistic monster smirked with cruel glee as he removed his hand from a woman who's mouth was open in a silent scream. Her body was covered in a layer of black ice.

He then took a moment to gaze at the other ice statues of the many female servants in Rakuen he had lured into his personal quarters before turning them into a piece of his collection over the years. "Again? Do you have any idea how hard it is to deal with the fallout of your actions?"

Uragiri looked over his shoulder to see Sagi entering his chambers with a look of disapproval on his face. "Do not bother trying to shame me, Sagi." The leader of the Nine Dark Circles said with a smug look on his face as he adorned a dress shirt. "You only hate dealing with the fallout because it's a distraction from your experiments."

Sagi glared at his superior. He then regained his composure and delivered the news he had come to deliver. "I have news, Uragiri," he said, "news from our agents in Dressrosa."

This caught Uragiri's attention. He chuckled darkly and caressed the face of the newest addition to his collection, not caring of the coldness he felt from his black ice. "A new part of my collection and news from our spies in Dressrosa. This day just gets better and better." Uragiri said darkly. "So, what did our little spies have to tell us, hmm?"

"Menou's forces just faced off against the Big Mom Pirates and Beasts Pirates." Sagi announced. "And it was quite the devastating victory on their behalf. Neither crew stood a chance against their forces."

Uragiri laughed at that statement. "It would be quite troublesome if they were destroyed." He noted. "They are our rival kingdom. I would be most upset if they were destroyed like that."

Sagi frowned. "We both know that's a lie, Uragiri." The Fraud of the Circles reminded him. "You're probably the only one here who hates Menou as much as the king. You would've loved to have seen them destroyed by those crews."

"And that is where you are wrong, dear Sagi." Uragiri taunted him. "It's true, I do want to see Menou destroyed…but only after I've turned every square inch of that despicable kingdom of light into a frozen hell, and that will only after we plunge them all into utter despair. Nothing adds to the satisfaction of victory more than the abject misery of your enemies."

Sagi rolled his eyes at being told he was wrong before smirking. "I suppose you would have every reason to want to destroy them."

"After all, that title of yours isn't just for show, Uragiri the Treachery." Sagi continued.

Uragiri just smirked at that statement. Indeed, he was Uragiri the Treachery, the most infamous traitor in the history of Menou. The man who betrayed his homeland for power and status. The man who proved himself time and time again worthy of his title.

"Chitsujo thinks he understands his people so well." Uragiri said, laughing cruelly at the miseries the man had been subjected to over the years, along with the miseries he will experience in the future. "I can't wait for his reaction when that fool realizes that there are traitors among his own people, just like me. He always feared a second 'Uragiri,' and now he is about to experience multiple ones at once!"

"All we must do now is give the order and our agents will cripple the Alliance before they can even realize what has happened." Sagi pointed out.

Uragiri shook his head, gazing at Sagi like he was incredibly stupid. "For the most senior member of the bunch, Sagi, you fail to understand Lord Konton's plans for this universe."

Sagi glared at Uragiri for that statement. "Crippling the Alliance is not enough." Uragiri told them. "They need to be drowned in despair. If we just have our agents attack our foes and kill a bunch of the Alliance's top brass, all they'll feel is sad and betrayed. But, they'll just get right back up and fight again."

Uragiri grinned darkly. "The key to breaking an enemy with betrayal is to time it, Sagi. To time it." He told him. "And right now, it's just not the right time."

"Okay, well, since you're the expert on betrayal." Sagi noted. "You tell me, Uragiri. When is the best time to betray your enemies?"

Uragiri smiled cruelly at that statement. "When victory is in sight. When people have hope for victory. When they are at the height of happiness, and feel that nothing could possibly go wrong. That is when you betray them. To take the height of hope and replace it with the height of despair."

Sagi narrowed his eyes, realizing what Uragiri was getting at. "You expect the Alliance to continue achieving victories?"

"I'm counting on it," Uragiri revealed, "and if you knew the king as well as you claim, you'd be counting on it as well."

Sagi's lips curled into an angry sneer. He hated Uragiri so much, sometimes. They could not get through a single conversation without that man slipping in some sort of insult. It was his way of reminding him that Konton had selected him as the leader of the Nine Dark Circles, and not his most senior subordinate.

"Lord Konton's plan is to become the uncontested ruler of the entire universe. There are two things that must happen in order for this goal to be accomplished." Uragiri revealed. "The first is to keep the universe in constant chaos and darkness, leaving the survivors of our conquest to fight amongst themselves, leaving his rule unquestioned."

"The second," Uragiri continued with a twisted, dark smile, "is to drown the universe in despair, to sap their will to fight anything they deem to be an injustice."

"Kingdoms have fallen to their own people because the masses were allowed to have hope." Uragiri reminded Sagi. "Hope that allowed them to rebel against their rulers. Take away that hope, replace it with despair, and their will to fight, their will to rebel, will be sapped away before. And right now, we have begun the great undertaking of plunging the entire universe into despair to make it our kingdom. It is a great undertaking indeed."

"That, my dear Sagi, is how you become the uncontested ruler of the universe." Uragiri revealed.

 _Despair, huh?_ Sagi thought to himself. _Yes, I suppose that is indeed the way to take over the universe. Even science itself cannot account for human emotion. So being able to manipulate that is truly powerful._

 _Lord Konton, if you truly plan to bring despair to the world to consolidate your rule…then you are truly a king of kings, a god amongst gods…with such a brilliant plan…_

Meanwhile, in the undisclosed headquarters of Marshall D. Teach, known to the world as Blackbeard, the man who was somehow more twisted then the sociopathic Charlotte Linlin and the warmongering Kaido, grinned as his subordinate, Van Auger knelt before him. "I have news, Admiral Teach." Auger said to him. "News from Rakuen's spies in Menou."

Blackbeard grinned. "So, he's already called for reinforcements from his own kingdom like he did with in Fiore, eh?" He mused, noting that they were already receiving information from spies in Raika's army on the coast between the Alvarez Empire and the Kingdom of Fiore. "Fantastic, and what did our spies have to tell us today?"

"Kaido and Big Mom attempted an assault on Dressrosa. Strangely, they made the choice to not attack together, but rather separately." Auger replied.

"And the results?" Blackbeard inquired curiously. "Surely, our foes were not killed so easily? That would be a cruel fate for them, and a cruel fate for us. All that buildup and they're killed by two rivals for King of the Pirates."

Auger shook his head. "No, Admiral," he said, "the Big Mom Pirates and the Beasts Pirates were dealt a complete and utter defeat at the hands of Menou's forces. Fate was not kind to them today."

This caught Blackbeard's interest. "So, Linlin and Kaido learned the hierarchy of the universe the hard way, eh?" He grinned. "Ze ha ha ha, splendid! This leaves them ripe for destruction!"

"Ripe for destruction, Admiral?" Auger raised an eyebrow at this. "Surely, you do not intend to fight a war on multiple fronts? Not that it isn't doable of course, we could easily retake our old territories in the New World and then attack Big Mom and Kaido while they're reeling from their defeat."

"No, not on two fronts, the time isn't right, Auger." Blackbeard told him. "No, first we will display our improved power by crushing the Alliance. And then, with Konton's blessing, I will return to the New World with our Coalition, and wipe Big Mom and Kaido off the face of the earth."

Auger smiled darkly at Blackbeard's statements. He truly admired his captain's ambitions. "Shanks will fall with the Alliance," Blackbeard noted, "and with all three of the other emperors eliminated, I will take their Road Poneglyphs, and use them to sail onto Raftel."

"And then the world will be introduced to the second King of the Pirates, Marshall D. Teach." Auger said grandly. "Not Straw Hat Luffy, even if he did defeat Zeref."

Blackbeard narrowed his eyes at Auger. Auger gasped. "Umm…was I out of line, Admiral?" He inquired. "Surely you are not worried about Straw Hat?"

"Auger, I know I can crush him if we face off against each other." Blackbeard claimed. "But I will not allow you to brush him off like that."

"Admiral, even if you both are a part of the Clan of D, that's no reason for you to treat Straw Hat with such respect." Auger told him. "His fate is to be crushed beneath your foot."

"Even if that were true, I will give Straw Hat the proper respect." Blackbeard vowed. "Because Straw Hat is like me, he is a dreamer, a man of tremendous ambition."

Auger fell silent at this. Blackbeard respected fellow dreamers. That never changed about him."And he's growing, Auger. Zeref was weak of mind and heart, but he was still one of us. Straw Hat should not have been able to beat him. And yet, Straw Hat grew enough to best Zeref in combat."

Auger's silence continued. Zeref's fall on Tenrou Island had indeed been a surprise to many. He had every contingency possible. A new body for what was now known as E.N.D, an Etherious for him to fuse with and increase his power, an attack that was basically a small-scale apocalypse to wipe out all life on the island. He had every backup plan to secure his victory, and was still beaten by Straw Hat and his allies.

Auger, along with the rest of the main group of the Blackbeard Pirates, still firmly believed that Blackbeard would be King of the Pirates. It was what kept them together as a group along with their own ambitions of power in this golden age of piracy. However, even if he also firmly believed Straw Hat's fate was to ultimately die at Blackbeard's hand, he had to admit that the boy's growth in recent years was disturbing to say the least.

"Anyway, what else have our spies wanted to say to us?" Blackbeard inquired.

"Ah, right, well, right before Big Mom and Kaido launched their attacks on Dressrosa, the Alliance sent out five different fleets. They've made their move, Teach. They are ready for battle." Auger warned him.

"Ze ha ha ha!" Blackbeard laughed in glee at the thought of battle with the Alliance. "So, they're ready for battle, are they? Excellent! Simply excellent! It wouldn't be as enjoyable if they weren't ready."

Blackbeard threw his arms out wide. "The War for the Thrones wouldn't be as fun if they weren't ready for war! They should be riding high after their victory over Zeref after all! They won fair and square, so they should be confident and ready to continue! So I say let them come! Let them fight! I want to see a war worthy of the thrones!"

Auger raised a confused eyebrow. " _Thrones_ , Admiral?" He repeated, visibly confused by Blackbeard making that word plural. "Weren't we only warring for one throne? The throne for the King of the Pirates?"

"Don't be so small-minded, Auger." Blackbeard said with no real malice and criticism. "The world is changing, such is its fate. We no longer get to simply think on a worldly scale. Now, we must think on a universal scale!"

Auger agreed with that. But still, what is the other throne Blackbeard is thinking of. "This isn't just a war for the throne of King of the Pirates, Auger. This is a war for the throne of the entire universe, such is Konton's ultimate goal!"

Unlike the small-minded Zeref, who wanted to take out his hatred for humanity on his world, the single-minded Yhwach, who only cared about his plans for his world, and the unpredictable Madara, Blackbeard was the only Act of Chaos who truly had insight into Konton's ultimate goal. He knew that Konton was using them to make a power play on the entire universe.

The only reason he did not care about this fact was that Konton's goals aligned with his. It was that simple. "Now, if that's really all the news we have, then go and inform our comrades across the Grand Line and the Four Blues. Let them know that our friends from the Alliance have come to play." Blackbeard told Auger.

"This is where the tale ends." Blackbeard vowed. "Their fate is sealed. Come forth and die, Allied Forces. You will not interrupt my age, ZE HA HA HA HA!"

And with that chilling declaration, the campaign to retake the Pirate World began officially on both sides of the war.

 **A.N: Again, terribly sorry it's come to this point. I honestly did not expect it to come to this. But it's gotten to the point where fanfic writing has felt more like work than a hobby, and I don't want that. I'll lose all desire to write anything for this profile, and I don't want that either. So, I'll hopefully see you all over at Wild Hunt when I post chapter 7, and after that, I'll see you in hopefully a month, where I'll have regained a sense of balance and peace in my life. Thank you, God bless, and goodbye for now.**


	7. Chapter 7: The Reverie

**I'm back y'all. I'm back with a new system and a new outlook on things. First thing is first, my new system of posting. Here is the deal. I want to continue doing this kind of stuff, but I also just got a new job, so I really can't devote all my time to fanfic writing. So, I've got a new system now. It's quite simple. I'm just going to do a mass posting on the first of every month, and whatever I post is whatever I finish in that time period. This allows me to write whenever I'm inspired and in the mood to do it. And, it keeps me to some sort of system.**

 **Here's the thing, guys, my problem was that I started treating this like a job. And it's not, it's a hobby. It's something I do because I think it's fun. And I can't let it not be fun if I'm going to continue. And for it to keep being fun, I need to do it when I want to do it. And this system helps me with that. And while we're on the subject, I want to apologize to anyone I ever told to devote yourselves entirely to projects as writers. That was a naive thing of me to say. What's important is that you tell the stories you want and love to tell. Never be afraid to start a new project just because you're in the middle of something else. That project could rekindle your love for storytelling.**

 **So yeah, if I want to start something new, I'm going to start something new. Because writing what's on your mind and in your heart is the very essence of being a writer. Which is great, because there's a lot I want to say and tell. And if I just focused on one project at a time, I'd be writing until the age of a hundred.**

 **And just to get this out of the way, no, I'm not going to unblock the person I blocked. I forgive that person, but I also cannot put myself in any sort of position that could cause me undue stress, especially now that I have a job. And besides, it's looking like the real issue was reviewing. They can review, just as a guest, like other people do. And as mentioned before, stop bringing it up for the sake of your anonymity. That's that; my mind is made up, and it's not going to change.**

 **Now that we've got that out of the way, sorry for the heavy shit, btw, stay tuned for after the chapter. I've got an important announcement regarding this series. Let's just say, big plans, folks. Big plans indeed.**

 **Chapter 7: The Reverie**

While the Alliance set sail, beginning their campaign, life went on all across the Pirate World. And a big part of life for the kings who ruled various kingdoms, was the famed world summit known as the Reverie, a gathering of 50 of the 170 nations allied with the World Government that occurred once every four years. Well, actually, the numbers would be dwindling this time around. Several nations had chosen to defect from the World Government.

The nations of Dressrosa, Alabasta, Kano, Sakura, Ryugu and Prodence had all chosen to defect from the World Government and throw their lot in with this new organization: The Allied Forces. Apparently they were some sort of big deal that freed an entire world from their counterparts. Oh yeah, and apparently there were other worlds besides their own. So, that was a thing.

But, life went on, even if there was a war. They were kings and queens after all. There is literally no reason for them to be involved in things that peasants do. Made the choice those six defecting kingdoms made even more baffling.

Anyway, on this day, after arriving a day earlier, 40 representatives of the allied countries gathered at Mary Geoise, the holy land of the World Government. The mood was a bit tenser then usual, even though they felt there was no reason for them to worry too much about. It was because there were actual traitors to the World Government, and because war was still such a troublesome business.

At the head of the table was the chairman of the current Reverie, Ham Burger, king of Ballywood Kingdom. "Have we all arrived then?" King Burger inquired.

Mororon, queen of Tajine Kingdom, managed a jovial laugh as she took a sip of red wine. "We've got some absences this time." She noted.

King Beer IV, king of Roshwan Kingdom rolled his eyes at Mororon's behavior. "Queen Mororon," he said, "they're absent because they've betrayed the World Government."

Tacos, king Shishano Kingdom, sighed. "They have every right to choose not to kneel to others, they are kings and queens after all. They just need to learn that there's consequences when you choose not to kneel to certain kinds of people."

Wapol, King of Black Drum Kingdom, just started laughing as he picked his nose. "That Dalton is such a fool. Leading his precious _Sakura_ Kingdom into war and betraying the government." He noted. "Some king he turned out to be. I guarantee if I was still Drum Kingdom's king, I would make sure we remained loyal to the government. Now, we're going to get this over with, right? I've got an important meeting!"

Wapol was referring to a meeting with Sagi, the Circle of Fraud. They wanted to meet discussing the Iron Maidens. "King Wapol," Burger frowned, "the Reverie is a long affair stooped in tradition, I advise you to practice some patience."

Surprisingly, Sterry, king of Goa Kingdom, was remaining silent and not talking about how great he was. He had been silenced by the news that the adopted brother he had thought was dead for years was not only alive and well, but also the Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army, and apparently a high-ranking officer in this Alliance that was threatening the World Government.

Also, he was still thinking about that which only the kings got to see. The famed Empty Throne of the World Government, the symbol of peace and equality that none could sit on, less they disrupt that peace and equality.

Needless to say, Sterry could only think about one other thing besides the fact that damn Sabo was somehow still alive and making things difficult for him, even now. _I want to sit on that throne._ Sterry thought greedily. _I want to rule the world…so badly. I want it. I want it. I WANT IT!_

 _And when I do,_ Sterry thought darkly, _I'm going to use every resource at my disposal to hunt down Sabo and kill him, and make sure he can't ever be traced back to me. Then, I'll kill every single person who is foolish enough not to accept me as their king!_

Burger cleared his throat, trying to get everyone back on track. "Anyway," he said, "as you can all see, we do indeed have six absences, six betrayals who must pay the price for their decisions. It's that simple."

"It's no surprise the Nefertari Family and Alabasta eventually betrayed the World Government." Beer pointed out. "King Cobra always did have vastly different opinions from the rest of us. Those opinions only seemed to grow in strength after the incident with Crocodile."

Wapol frowned. "Cobra," he growled, remembering the man humiliating him so long ago, "such a stupid, foolish king. He's somehow as bad as Dalton, and that's saying a lot."

"However, what is surprising is King Riku's decision to defect so soon after taking the throne. I always thought the man to be smart." A king from a nation in the New World noted.

"We're getting off track again." Burger told them all. "With the actions of the six defecting kingdoms, our first motion should be to move to condemn their actions, and show that those who have remained loyal do not support their actions. In other words, should this motion pass, these nations will be condemned, removed from the Reverie and the World Government officially, and will be made enemies of us all. They'll be on their own."

Burger cleared his throat. "As chairman of this Reverie, I move to condemn the kings and kingdoms of Sakura, Alabasta, Ryugu, Dressrosa, Prodence and Kano."

"Seconded," Another king was quick to state.

"Very good, all in favor?" A large majority of hands shot up without hesitation.

"And all opposed?"

No hands went up, even the most steadfast allies of the defecting countries were not with them on this matter, but Tacos was quick to state something else. "Shishano Kingdom has made the choice to abstain on the matter."

"Trying to play both sides just in case, King Tacos?" Mororon teased.

"No, I simply choose to recognize their decision to not simply bow." Tacos said firmly.

Beer rolled his eyes as he took a flask of vodka from his pocket and downed it. _You say that, but a coward like you would never make that decision if your life was on the line._ He noted. _Talk is cheap, King Tacos._

"Your choice to abstain is recognized and also not condemned." Burger assured Tacos. "Anyway, as chairman, I announce that the motion passes, and that all six kingdoms are not only condemned, but also expelled from the Reverie and hereby labeled as enemies of the world, and of the peace."

"Too bad they're not here, the least they could've done was show up and try to justify it." Mororon laughed. "What a sight that would have been."

"I just don't get it," a younger, newer king who had taken the throne after his father's passing, spoke up, "what could've possessed them to defect? Just what is so special about these Allied Forces to make them think they can rebel against the government?"

"I think the more important question is just what are these other worlds and why are they so threatening that the government suddenly needs to form alliances of their own." Another replied.

"From the information the government and the navy were willing to provide," Burger responded, once again working to keep the attendees on track, "they are powerful worlds with various kinds of individuals. I can hardly believe it myself, but we're talking wizards, spirits, and ninjas of all things."

"Just a bunch of freaks if you ask me, like those traitorous, disgusting Fishmen." Sterry spat, deciding to make a good impression by badmouthing his enemies and an almost universally despised race at the same time. "No surprise, birds of a disgusting feather, right?"

"Freaks who've apparently given these kingdoms and a revolution, hope. Hope for a different future." Burger pointed out to Sterry. "Whether they are freaks is neither here nor there, what's important is what they've done for the traitors and the Revolutionary Army. They've been buoyed by this alliance."

"There's more though," Burger continued, "the fourth world our new enemies have allied with, military intelligence that has been shared with us thus far, tells us that the fourth world hosts a kingdom called Menou, lead by a man known as Chitsujo. Apparently he's some sort of semi-immortal being, so powerful, that he's considered a living god among his people."

"Like the Celestial Dragons?" Beer raised an eyebrow at the man's title while everyone else began to murmur amongst themselves.

Burger shook his head. "Apparently, this Chitsujo is a peace-loving king, a man who does not seek conquest in spite of his incredible power. He's quite popular with his subjects. Doesn't even consider himself a god, just a man, according to the information we were provided…everyone else read that, right?"

A pregnant silence fell over the room, much to Burger's annoyance. Sterry then laughed. "Why does a king need to be popular with peasants?" He wondered arrogantly. "The peasants just need to do as they're told, that's it. Popularity shouldn't be something he's concerned about."

"And yet the man has ruled for thousands of years, according to the reports." Burger once again found himself pointing out to Sterry. "Whatever he's doing is working."

"I don't get it," Beer frowned, "what possesses a man to rule for thousands of years and never once think of expanding his kingdom? A man with that much longevity would be bored after that long without starting a conquest or two to liven things up."

"Perhaps he is content with what he has?" Burger suggested, admittedly confused on the matter himself.

"What is the military strength of Menou?" An older queen inquired curiously.

"Powerful, from what I understand." Burger replied. "They are filled with soldiers strong enough to singlehandedly topple entire kingdoms, much like the Seven Warlords of the Sea and the Marine Admirals."

A few rulers paled at that statement. In a panic, two got up. "And where are you going?" Burger demanded. "I don't remember adjourning this meeting."

"I have no time for a damn Reverie if our foes are that powerful!" One king pointed out. "I must return home and shore up our defenses! I'm not letting everything I built be toppled by traitors and monsters from other worlds!"

"Umm…same here…I'm going to go home and talk up our defenses…er…shore up our defenses too." A second said nervously, quickly correct himself. He definitely did not need everyone to know he wanted to talk with their enemies.

 _If our foes are that powerful, I need to negotiate my surrender quickly!_ The second king thought frantically. _Maybe if I can offer some sort of information on the other kingdoms and the navy, they'd be willing to accept me into the alliance. I can't go to the sword for these people knowing all of this!_

Then, as the second king nervously backed away, his two bodyguards in front of him, making sure nobody tried to stop him from leaving. Then, the cowardly king gasped in pain as his body contorted and bent. The bodyguards looked over their shoulder and gasped in terror. A man of unknown origin had shoved his hand right into the back of their king, breaking his spine and now gripping his heart tight.

A few weak-hearted rulers screamed in terror at the sight of the murder before them as the new man dropped the king to the ground, dead. "Your Majesty!" The bodyguards yelled in horror.

The man, who strangely had no face to speak of—that is, no mouth, no nose, no eyes, nothing—let out a nervous chuckle as he cleaned his bloody hand on his cloak. "Well, that was gross. I can't even feel the guy's blood and guts, and that was still gross. Guess there's just no way to escape the grossness of gore."

"Bastard!" The bodyguards yelled, ready to strike down whomever this assailant was for killing their king.

The faceless man seemed to notice their presence for the first and gasped. "Oh, yeah, that's right, you guys were supposed to be guarding him, right? Man, you guys suck at your jobs."

The faceless man vanished for a moment as the two bodyguards swung their swords at him. Then, while upside down, the man grabbed both of their heads, twisted, and tore them off with ease.

The faceless assailant calmly landed. "Ugh, gross," he said, staring at the mess he created.

"Who in the world are you?" Burger demanded. "This is a private and sacred meeting between rulers! You have no right to even be here, let alone kill people attending it!"

The faceless man raised his hands in defense. "Whoa, whoa, take it easy there." He said. "I come in peace…well, mostly. I think if King Spineless and the Headless Twins there could still talk, they'd probably disagree with me."

Sterry shrieked in fear of the faceless man, backing away from him. "Don't get the wrong idea, it's not like I killed them just because." The faceless man assured them. "Honestly, blood kinda grosses me out. But I've found ways of making it easier. Like joking and laughing it off."

"Anyway, didn't ya catch how much of a nervous nelly that guy was as soon as you told him about how strong Menou was? The guy kept stumbling over his sentences, sounded like he had something to hide if you ask me. Who knows, maybe he wanted to defect? You should be thanking me, I just eliminated a traitor." The faceless man sounded so jovial, like what he had just done was the best thing he could have done.

"Ooh that reminds me," he turned his attention to the other king who was trying to leave, who looked like he had just wet himself, "you should probably sit down, old timer."

The king nodded and did as asked. "How could you possibly have known he intended to defect?" Even the normally jovial Mororon was horrified. "You killed a man with no proof!"

"Not only that, but you've left his kingdom without a ruler." Burger added. "Do you not care about the fact you've left his homeland in chaos?"

"In no particular order," the faceless man responded, "one, no, I really don't care. His homeland is not my homeland. Two, you're right, I didn't know, I just guessed. I did kill a man with no proof, but since when do you need proof to do anything in war? Last time I checked, anything goes in a battle for survival."

"And finally, I'm well aware that now his kingdom has no ruler. Again, I just don't care. Kings and queens are a dime a dozen in the grand scheme of things. They're as temporary as the subjects they step on. That's kinda why I place my loyalty in a god, and not men. Anyway, if King Spineless was smart, he'd have made an heir to the throne who can take over. If he was dumb enough to neglect that, then frankly, his kingdom deserves to collapse."

"Anyway," the faceless man continued, "what I'm here to tell you is that you have no reason to panic just because a couple super strong guys are now your enemies for a change. In fact, you're probably safer here then anywhere else. So why leave? Stay and enjoy the party."

"Who are you?" Burger asked, having calmed down from the recent actions.

"Oh yeah, that's right, with all the excitement I forgot to introduce myself." The faceless man gave a mock bow. "My name is Rin, I'm the 1st Circle, the Limbo, one of the elite soldiers of the Kingdom of Rakuen, the leaders of the coalition that's protecting you lot."

Everyone gasped at this; an otherworlder, here at the Reverie. "And why are you here, Sir Rin?" Burger inquired.

"I'm so glad you asked, Mr. Chairman." Rin said jovially as he took a seat in the dead king's chair. "See, I'm on official business. Granted, I couldn't show up here in the flesh, but I'm with ya in spirit."

"What do you mean you're with us in spirit?" Sterry demanded furiously, wishing this thing would just go away. "You're right here!"

"I'm here, but I'm not here." Rin corrected. "This body you see here? It's not mine. It's not even flesh. Just a little something, something developed by my elder."

And by elder, Rin meant Sagi. This body Rin was currently operating was a design of his. An entirely mechanical body capable of transferring a soldier's Reiki to the mechanical body for use. Granted, they could not use their Arts, but it was still something fierce. This was just an invention Sagi used for the Circles to get around while not being able to enter the battle in the flesh and risk drawing out the Saint Warriors. And the name of these mechanical bodies were Faux Men.

"Anyway, I hope you don't mind, Mr. Chairman, but I'm kinda taking over this Reverie." Rin told Burger. "My king has some things he'd like me to relay to you."

Burger nodded, knowing there was only one way he could respond. "So, first thing's first, thank you all for choosing to remain loyal." Rin said with that same jovial tone as before. "Lord Konton sees your loyalty and recognizes it."

"Second, you have no reason to be alarmed by your enemies. Yeah, okay they're pretty strong. They actually won the first big campaign. Crazy right? I didn't even think that. In fact, I owe money to a few comrades of mine because I lost a bet over that. But see, here's the thing, the people your allied with are better in every way. So don't worry about losing, worry about how you're gonna celebrate when we finally win this whole thing."

"What does your king have to gain from allying with our government?" Beer inquired.

"Great question!" Rin cheered. "And he's got plenty to gain."

"See, here's the thing," Rin told them, "there's going to be a sort of changing of the guard after we win the war. The Elder Stars have decided that they're going to remain in power as figureheads, while my master is the true ruler of this world and every world."

This caused a stir. "Hold on, are you telling me the Elder Stars agreed to hand over power to your master?" Tacos demanded, managing to make his voice heard over the shouting.

"Yep," Rin seemed to grin, even though he had no mouth, "see, you've all had it wrong for all these years. Much like you kings and queens don't really care about your people, the Elder Stars couldn't care less about the rest of you. It's all about power. It's always been about power. And as long as people are allowed to maintain that power, they're willing to do anything, even rule as figureheads while someone else makes all the policy decisions."

Rin laughed. "Come on, you can't possibly tell me you're shocked. Five old geezers who've been ruling the world for years and years, and you really think they'd just give up their cushy little lives just like that? They live like gods, they're worshipped as gods. Even if they no longer really rule, they'd never give up the power and prestige. That's what it means to be figureheads. You've got all that, but no real influence and responsibilities. That's what people really want when they go after positions of power."

"And is that what your master wants?" Mororon inquired.

"What my master wants is what is rightfully his, rulership over the entire universe." Rin said. "And in exchange for being allowed to continue living like the gods they've been worshipped as, the Elder Stars are going to help him get what belongs to him."

"Not only that, you're going to help your new god." Rin told them. "You've been pretty helpful in letting your people sign up for the Marines, or sending your soldiers wherever the government has wanted you to, but we're going to step things up a little."

"From here on out, consider every single able-bodied person conscripted into the Conqueror's Coalition." Rin said, jovially but darkly. "If they can pick up a weapon and kill someone with it, they're a part of the army now."

"Hold on, those terms are vague!" Mororon noted.

"And that's the idea," Rin pointed out, "the more vague the terms, the more we can draft into the army. Just picture the Allied Forces, paralyzed with sheer terror as a bunch of eight year olds march towards them with daggers in hand, or even rigged with explosives. Then we'll see just how much their lives and ideals really mean to them."

"Children?" A younger queen, old enough to be a mother of children, exclaimed in horror. "You can't be serious, Sir Rin!"

"Now why would I relay a demand we weren't serious about?" Rin inquired. "Child soldiers are the best soldiers. No one wants to hurt them, and if you mold 'em just right, you can get them to perform all kinds of horrors. And there's nothing like a good horror to win a war."

A horrified silence fell over the room. "And…what if we refuse?" Tacos inquired. "What if we choose not to take these terms?"

Rin gasped in mock horror. "Aww come on," he said, "I kill three people and you still want to know what happens if you refuse?"

"What King Tacos is trying to say, Sir Rin, is that we wish to talk hypothetically." Burger pointed out. "Killing a possible coward trying to flee and defect is one thing, but if we refuse now and you get…violent, someone could come and stop you."

"Oh?" Rin seemed interested in that statement.

"After all, two of the three admirals of the Marines are here at Mary Geoise at the moment." Burger continued. "And even if they are loyal Marines, surely at least one of them won't agree with cold-blooded murder. And that admiral will come to stop you."

"I don't doubt that," Rin shrugged, "but why don't I match your hypothetical statement with another?"

"How many people do you think I can kill in here before an admiral showed up to try and stop me?" Rin inquired, making everyone feel sick at that statement. "Ten? Twenty? Thirty? Maybe even all of you if I really put in the effort. And believe me, I wouldn't think twice to do it. Kings and queens are a dime a dozen, remember? We can replace you easily. So tell me, do you really want to take that gamble?"

Nobody spoke up. When push came to shove, these people cared only for themselves at the end of the day. They would do anything to preserve their own lives, even damning the most innocent of them to conscription in the army.

"But you know, that's the thing," Rin continued, "I'm not going to kill any of you. Like I said, gore kinda makes me sick to my stomach. So, I'm going to offer you a different kind of incentive."

With that, Rin casually strode to the window and opened it. "I believe there's an island a ways away from Mary Geoise." Rin noted. "One of the many slave islands your Celestial Dragons like to use when just going around and finding auction houses is a bit too much of a hassle for them. Islands like these are where people who just one day disappear from their homes elsewhere end up. And they vanish because they were either famous and the Celestial Dragons wanted their talents exclusively, or just simple folks who disappeared because they had some sort of skill that made them a desirable slave, like carpenters, chefs, or other things like that. I don't know, and honestly, I don't care to find out every single slave's background."

"Either way," Rin continued, pointing a hand out the window, "this should serve as a useful message."

His hand then shone bright silver as an orb of pure Reiki formed in his hand. "Wait, what are you…" Mororon trailed off, realizing what was about to happen.

"Good bye, slaves." Rin said, a bit too calm as he fired the orb of Reiki into the distance.

The attendees watched in shock as the orb vanished in the distance. Then, before anyone could inquire what he had just done, a large explosion rang out as a giant mushroom cloud of smoke and fire appeared in the distance.

Seconds earlier, children played in the street, trying to be happy, even though their futures as slaves were utterly miserable. Parents were unable to crack even the hint of a smile, knowing their lives were now hell. Then a silver light appeared as the orb neared them. They all looked in shock as their final moments of life came and went in an instant.

The attendees of the Reverie gasped in utter horror when they realized what Rin had just done. He had just blown up the entire island of slaves. Thousands and thousands of lives, wiped away in a flash, just to prove a point.

"Again," Rin said to the utterly stunned crowd, "I don't enjoy killing."

At this point, that statement seemed like a big lie…

"Here's the deal," Rin said, "that was a warning. Keep this up, and I'll start blowing up places here at Mary Geoise at random. Then I'll move on to islands. How long before I hit an area where there's someone you actually give a damn about."

"Frankly, this'll be much easier." Rin admitted. "This way, I don't have to look at anything. They'll just die quickly in a bright flash of light."

"But listen, I don't _want_ to do this. I just need you all to know just where you stand here." Rin told them.

The thing is, Rin was bluffing. He only intended to blow up islands at random without care. He knew he could not risk stepping on eggshells and killing Celestial Dragons. He at least had to be nice enough to leave the so-called gods alive.

Unfortunately, his actions still had their desired effect. At that moment, everyone realized they had traded one ruler in the Elder Stars, for this Lord Konton. Once the Coalition won, it would just be business as usual.

Beer gazed at Tacos, who looked terrified. _When push comes to shove, you'd rather kneel then save yourself. You talk a big game…but you're as gutless as us all._ Beer admitted inwardly.

 _The old king is gone. Long live the king._ Burger sighed inwardly, accepting his fate like everyone else.

Meanwhile, outside of the Reverie, at a table for two, Marine Admiral Fujitora, the blind swordsman, rose from his seat, grabbing his cane. "And where are you going, Issho?" The man who had joined him said, addressing him by his real name.

"My Haki has shown me something terrifying." Fujitora said calmly, but angrily. "Thousands of voices, crying out, and then silence. That monster has done something terrible."

Fujitora heard no response. "Do you not care, Ryokugyu?" He inquired.

"It's too troublesome to deal with." Marine Admiral Ryokugyu responded. "Besides, if I'm right, that guy just blew up a slave island. By this world's traditions, they're not worth the effort to avenge."

"They were people." Fujitora reminded his comrade. "People we're sworn to protect. You can't tell me that you're so lazy that you'd just brush their deaths off."

Ryokugyu laughed. "Issho, I haven't eaten in years, because eating is too much of a damn hassle." He reminded the blind man. "Why would I get up and avenge the deaths of others?"

Fujitora gripped his cane tightly. "I remained with the Coalition because I believed I could protect more people by staying and trying to minimize casualties." Fujitora noted. "And now look at what has happened."

"You can't save everyone, Issho, and it's too much of a hassle to try." Ryokugyu told him. "You could've joined any side you wanted, and there are still people who would've ended up dead, no matter what. If you think otherwise, you're as blind in the head as you are in the eyes."

Fujitora fell silent at this. "At this point, it is best to just gotta let things play out." Ryokugyu noted. "Now that the Alliance is here and that our new _friends_ have shown us how far they're willing to go, defecting would just make things worse."

"This path will damn us both." Fujitora told Ryokugyu.

"Ra ha ha! No soldier really gets into heaven, Issho." Ryokugyu laughingly told him. "We were damned as soon as we became weapons of our government."

Fujitora had no response to that. He simply walked away from the table and Ryokugyu. Ryokugyu sighed. "Poor Issho," he said, genuine in that statement, "he joined the marines as an idealist, with honest to God visions for a better organization. But worlds like this have a tendency to crush idealism. It's a waste to even try."

Ryokugyu looked over his shoulder. "Wouldn't you agree, Starrk?" He inquired of a figure laying on a tree branch.

Coyote Starrk, the former top Espada of Sōsuke Aizen's army, opened his eyes, frowning. "What that man did was wrong." He said of Rin.

Below the branch was the little Lilinette Gingerback, Starrk's partner and dear friend. She looked up at Starrk with sympathy, knowing that such a senseless act bothered him greatly. "And yet you're making no effort to call him out on it?" Ryokugyu noted. "Do you just not care enough to do it?"

Starrk just sighed lazily. "At this point…what do you want me to do about it?" He simply inquired.

Meanwhile, Fujitora continued walking through Mary Geoise, trying to cool his anger. _Sakazuki,_ he thought of his only superior, the Fleet Admiral himself, _tell me, at what point is justice not worth it?_

"It's just not fair, isn't it?" A youthful voice inquired of Fujitora.

Fujitora looked over his shoulder to see a familiar young man leaning against the wall, a visibly troubled look on his face. "What pray tell, is not fair, Fourth Mizukage?" Fujitora formally addressed the young Kage.

Yagura, former Fourth Mizukage and Jinchūriki of the Three Tails, Isobu, chuckled humorlessly at Fujitora's formalities. "You're not a part of my world, I'm not even a Kage anymore. There's no need to be so formal, Fujitora."

"You say that, and yet you address me by my codename." Fujitora mused.

"You're still in a position of great importance." Yagura pointed out. "Me? I'm nothing but another man's puppet…par for the course at this point."

"Oh?" Fujitora looked confused at Yagura's statement.

Yagura ignored Fujitora's confusion, not wanting to get into that. Too many bad memories to speak of. "Actually, now that I think of it, you're arguably someone else's puppet too, just like me. The question is, who's puppet are you? A puppet of the Fleet Admiral? The Elder Stars? The leaders of the Coalition?"

"What point are you trying to make, Fourth Mizukage?" Fujitora demanded calmly.

Yagura sighed, hoping Fujitora would get the point without him outright explaining it. "It's too late for me, but not for you." Yagura told him. "Cut the strings before it is."

"To think I'd be given advice from a child." Fujitora noted, trying to lighten up the tense mood with a joke now.

Yagura pouted. "I am no child, I'm still the former Mizukage of the Hidden Mist Village." The young man reminded him. "Even puppets…have their pride."

Yagura left Fujitora to his own thoughts. He walked on his own for a bit before stumbling and clutching his head in pain. "Gah!" He yelled. "My…my head…it hurts!"

He then heard Konton's chilling voice in the back of his mind. _"Do not make me destroy your very soul and turn you into an actual puppet, Yagura."_ Konton warned him. _"Because believe me, I will. I give the indoctrinated freewill because puppets with the ability to think are far more useful to me then ones that cannot. Do not force me to make an exception."_

Yagura remained silent, not trusting himself to say anything to Konton. _"I'm so glad you see things my way."_

Inside of Yagura's mind, the Three Tails, Isobu, could only hiss in rage…

Meanwhile, Grimoire Heart's Guild Master, Hades, formerly known as Precht Gaebolg transported himself away from Mary Geoise and back to his airship. "Well," he muttered, sinking onto his throne "that was a waste of time."

"I take it your meeting wasn't productive?" Sir Crocodile stepped out of the shadows.

Hades heaved a sigh. Crocodile really had no sense of privacy for a man who acted the part of a gentleman. He then gave Crocodile a confused gaze. "You know, since it's just the two of us," he said, "mind if I just point this out to you?"

"What?" Crocodile inquired.

"We literally sound the same, haven't you noticed that?" Hades asked.

"No, I really don't hear it." Crocodile denied. "So, your meeting didn't go well?"

"No, of course not," Hades shook his head, "the Celestial Dragons are far too comfortable with their cushy lifestyles to provide anything useful."

"No surprise," Crocodile rolled his eyes, "they're just a waste of space. Even back when I was a Warlord, I could tell there was a lot wrong with this world, if a bunch of fat, dumpy morons in diving suits have that much power and money."

"It just doesn't seem fair, don't you think. I could use that money for much better than they ever could." Crocodile noted.

Hades rolled his eyes at this. "You would've used that money for yourself, Crocodile, let's be honest."

"And that would be a better use, because it's not being used for fat, dumpy morons in diving suits." Crocodile pointed out with that odd sense of humor of his. "Unfortunately, they're the ones with the money and power, and they're not going to part with it."

"As I've learned." Hades noted. "Regardless of which faction wins this war, they eventually need to be removed. This world is as dark as the Devil's Heart."

"Nobody wants to admit it, but it's true." Crocodile nodded. "The only way to truly obtain anything in this world is to take tremendous power and influence for yourself. It was why I strove for Alabasta's throne. What the Celestial Dragons had, what Whitebeard had as one of the Four Emperors. I wanted it for myself."

"Do you regret your endeavors?" Hades inquired curiously.

"I regret that I failed." Crocodile replied. "Don't get the wrong idea, it's not like I hold anything against Straw Hat and his cohorts for ruining my plans for Alabasta. And after I failed, I lost all interest in the outside world until I found a new reason to strive for what I wanted from Alabasta."

"You changed your mind that quickly?" Hades gazed at Crocodile in confusion, still unable to figure the man out.

"It's kind of hard to have any interest in the outside world when you're locked in Impel Down." Crocodile explained with a grin. "But when you are presented an opportunity to escape…well, let's just say ambition is eventually reignited inside of you."

"And what is your ambition, Crocodile?" Hades inquired.

Crocodile fell silent for a moment before replying. "My ambition is achieving my personal utopia." Crocodile revealed.

"Personal?"

"If I cannot turn a country into a utopia, then I will simply spend my life on the seas like I used to, taking whatever my heart desires, creating my own personal one." Crocodile explained. "Whether it be riches, power, or influence. I suppose you could say in a way I envy the Celestial Dragons. They have all that."

"So that's what you were really after." Hades realized. "You wanted the power the Celestial Dragons had."

"More than that," Crocodile revealed, "I wanted even more power than them."

"Possessions are what set people apart and determine what we are in the world. Kings are kings because they possess kingdoms. Generals are generals because they possess armies. The rich are rich because they possess wealth. And the strongest are strong because they possess power."

"What was it that you wanted to be?" Hades asked.

"I suppose I wanted to be something that surpassed all of the above." Crocodile admitted. "Something where they'd have to make up a whole new word just to describe me."

"I suppose that is one way to look at it." Hades noted.

"And how do you see it?" Crocodile inquired.

"I honestly don't know anymore." Hades admitted, heaving a sigh. "I suppose that's why I find myself curious about your philosophies on the matter in the first place."

"Well, I'm more than happy to convert people to my line of thinking." Crocodile grinned.

"Go and tell Aizen the news about the Celestial Dragons." Hades told Crocodile. "I need to clear my head. Just talking to those people was exhausting."

Crocodile decided to respect Hades's space for a change and nodded. "Oh, and Hades?" Crocodile looked over his shoulder and said with a grin. "I can hear it now. You were right."

Meanwhile, in the personal meeting room of the Elder Stars, the five men who practically ran the entire world, another individual with the same appearance as Rin's Faux Man had just entered to speak with them. The Elder Star with the pointed beard and mustache was the first to address him. "You are not Konton." He noted. "You are not even a man."

"I am a man," the Faux Man calmly addressed the Elder Stars, "I am simply not here at the moment, as is my king."

"And just who are you?" The bald, bespectacled Elder Star inquired.

"My name is Gekido, the Circle of Wrath, one of Lord Konton's elite warriors. I have come on his behalf to this meeting."

"Outrageous," the Elder Star with the giant mustache frowned, "our meeting was to be with Konton himself, not one of his flunkies."

The Faux Man made a sound similar to a man taking a deep breath. "Lord Konton," Gekido said, after a moment of silence, "is a very busy man, and has no time to meet with men arrogant enough to proclaim themselves as gods."

"Mind your tongue," the bald elder tapped his sword against the ground, "if this is your method of diplomacy, then we are not impressed."

"But surely you do not truly believe yourselves gods?" Gekido inquired. "Just because you share blood with those who first came to this 'holy land' does not make you gods. In fact, that doesn't even make your ancestors gods. Just men and women lucky enough to be able to set themselves apart from their fellow humans."

"And how do you define gods?" The Elder Star with the curly, powered wig inquired.

"I define gods as people with the power to inflict their will on the rest of the world, for good or for ill. Their own power though, not by influencing others to do it for them." Gekido responded. "I can assure you, once everything is in place, you will see the difference between my king's divinity and yours."

"Now, I do believe that my king was to meet with you to reaffirm our alliance, is that not true?" Gekido inquired.

"That it was." The blonde Elder Star nodded.

"Well, let's keep things simple then." Gekido nodded, taking an open seat in the room as though there were no issue. "Can Rakuen continue count on your support?"

"As long as the power structure that we, the Elder Stars, have maintained for years, is allowed to remain in place, you can." The elder with the powdered wig nodded.

"And that it will." Gekido nodded. "Lord Konton happily allows the freedom to live as you please, as long as your loyalty is to him. After all, that is what you truly desire, no? It certainly is what I've noticed from observing some of your fellow Celestial Dragons."

The Elder Stars fell silent at this. None of them wanted to admit that even though they were the rulers of world, what mattered to them, was their power. Gekido then decided to play one other card. A little blackmail went a long way.

"I'm surprised," he admitted, "I was honestly under the impression that my master would get to meet…your imaginary friend. The one you treat with such reverence. Instead, here we are. One puppet is meeting with five others…who are slaves to someone who doesn't even exist."

This made the Elder Stars all look at Gekido in shock. "I don't know what you're talking about." The bald elder denied.

"Please do not try to irritate me with denial, dear elder." Gekido replied. "Rakuen knows just about everything regarding your world."

"I can't help but wonder how strange it is." Gekido continued. "Why do the Elder Stars talk to an…imaginary friend and treat him like their master? He doesn't exist, right? If people found out how truly unwell the Elder Stars were in the head, they might push for their removal."

"…His existence is kept a secret." The blond elder replied. "And we are quite sane."

"His existence is kept a secret so we may live in peace." The pointy-bearded elder added.

"I see, an imaginary friend…no, a real being, who is considered so divine, that mere mortals don't have the right to even know of…its existence." Gekido realized. "How interesting, thank you for informing me of this, my master will be quite pleased to learn the answer to such a great mystery. That being said, this world's culture is so strange."

"…And what do you intend to do with this forbidden knowledge?" The powdered wig-wearing elder inquired.

"Nothing," Gekido replied, "I have little interest in troublesome matters like causing friction. Especially when we are already allies. Of course, should you step out of line, and my master decides to punish you, then that's just how things will be. With the knowledge that you have actually taken 'advice' on how to rule from an imaginary friend, he could claim you are all insane."

"And unfortunately, should we come to that point, you will have no choice but to step down due to being mentally unfit to continue serving. After all, you cannot disprove these insanity claims without giving away your master's existence." Gekido pointed out.

"This is blackmail!" The bald elder pointed out.

"Perhaps it is, do keep that in mind should you ever try to step out of line." Gekido shrugged.

"But for all of our sakes, please try to remember that my master is a man who expects the results _he_ _wants_." Gekido reminded them. "And those results will only come if we all play our parts. I advise you not to force him to prove his divinity."

"Is that a threat?" The bald elder demanded.

"I do not threaten people, I merely advise them." Gekido calmly assured the elder. "Making threats are more for people like Bō and Okui."

"You have no reason to worry." Gekido continued. "Simply follow my advice and do your parts, and we will all have what we want at the end of this war."

"Lord Konton always rewards his followers."

The Elder Stars all gazed at each other for a moment before the mustached elder nodded. "Very well, Gekido, tell your master that our alliance will remain as originally agreed on…just as long as he keeps his end of the bargain upon our victory…and that he keeps our master's existence a secret."

Gekido nodded. "Lord Konton never had any intention of saying anything…he just would've very much liked to have met this imaginary friend…I suppose there's an inner child in all of us."

Gekido got up from his seat and left the Elder Star's room. The bald elder narrowed his eyes. "These otherworlders are more dangerous than we realized." He noted. "Even though they seem to think we were behaving like children when we were talking to our lord. Do they really think that, or are they just trying to rattle us?"

"They are a danger that we need to keep close if we are going to eliminate all remaining threats to our rule." The blonde elder reminded his compatriot. "The Clan of D, the Revolutionary Army, the Demons of Ohara, and these otherworlders that have decided to make themselves our enemies as well. They all cannot be allowed to exist any longer. Every last speck of them needs to be eliminated for the good of the world."

"Not just them, but the traitors too," the mustached elder added. "The Nefertari and Riku Clans were always traitors, ever since their ancestors decided not to join the Holy Land. But now, this is absolutely unforgivable. They will be eliminated."

The bearded elder stroked his long, pointy beard as he gazed at several images. "These lights must all be extinguished." He noted. "Monkey D. Luffy, Monkey D. Dragon, and even Monkey D. Garp can no longer be left alive. That family must be erased."

"And, thanks to the information Doflamingo provided us, we now know that Trafalgar D. Water Law must also be eliminated for the sake of the world." He continued. "Along with Nico Robin, the leaders of the Revolutiony Army who answer directly to Dragon, the kingdoms who have betrayed us, and eventually, we're going to have to do something about Blackbeard…also known as Marshall D. Teach. It'll take some negotiations to get Konton to allow us to eliminate one of his favorites."

"And then there are these Acts of Order affiliated with Monkey D. Luffy." The wig-wearing elder pointed out, placing three images on the table. Images of Ichigo Kurosaki, Natsu Dragneel and Naruto Uzumaki.

The bald elder scowled. "Order? What a joke! We are the pinnacle of order, not these brats! We're the only pillars of order this world needs!"

"Agreed, for the sake of peace, prosperity, and justice, none of these people can be left alive. Otherwise, everything we've worked for could be ruined." The wig-wearing elder nodded in agreement.

"So until then, we will tolerate our alliance with Rakuen." The blonde elder told his compatriots. "Submission to Konton is a small price to pay, to maintain what we have created."

"Eventually we need to find some way to guarantee the man's silence." The bald elder pointed out. "We must guarantee that he never reveals our lord's existence to the world."

"That silence has now become more difficult, as he now knows that our master does exist." The blonde elder noted. "Gekido's threats have put us in a difficult spot. Our lord will be disturbed at this rate."

The mustached elder chuckled in dark amusement at a thought that just crossed his mind. "Don't gods still demand virgin sacrifices?" He wondered. "Perhaps an offering of the young princesses of the traitorous nations will buy the man's silence."

"Surely you're not suggesting we allow those traitorous bloodlines to live through the princesses." The bald elder seemed shocked at the notion.

"Oh, just brainstorming," the mustached elder replied, "you're right after all, we need his silence guaranteed somehow."

"We are thinking too far ahead." The pointy-bearded elder told his two compatriots. "Right now, let's simply focus on winning the war. Then we can worry about Konton's silence."

With that, each elder nodded in agreement, bringing their scheming to a close for the time being; And hoping that their master, the great Lord Im, saw things exactly as they did.

Meanwhile, back in Rakuen, Gekido heaved a tired sigh as he removed all of the wiring hooked up to connect him with the Faux Man. Next to him was his personal Faux Man, having transported itself back to Rakuen after its meeting. "So exhausting," he muttered, "dealing with people like that is so exhausting."

"Yeah, you really do have to pick your poison with that world, don't you?" Gekido turned to see Rin leaning up against the wall, having returned from his mission.

"I take it your meeting was troublesome as well?" Gekido inquired.

"Just a bunch of cowards afraid of dying," Rin scoffed, "but, it made 'em easy to deal with at least."

"And that is exactly why I sent the two of you." Konton suddenly entered, flanked by Sagi, who had a joyful look on his face from the successful testing of two of his Faux Men.

Gekido and Rin both knelt in respect. "Lord Konton," Gekido said reverently of his master.

"The elites in the Pirate World only have their names and bloodlines to give them influence. They have no real power whatsoever." Konton explained. "Take the fear and respect for those names away, and they become sniveling, whining dogs."

"That they do," Rin grinned, "I'm pretty sure I made half the room piss themselves, sir."

Gekido glared at Rin. The boy was young and still a bit informal. "Er…I did have to kill one of the kings when he tried to leave the Reverie." Rin admitted sheepishly. "I hope you don't mind, Milord."

"Mind? Rin, you just plunged an entire kingdom into chaos." Konton reminded him. "I'm very happy right now."

"Score!" Rin cheered. "And, it certainly had its desired effect. I don't think we have to worry about any more defectors. And murdering those traitors who defected to the Alliance will go a long way in that too."

Konton nodded in satisfaction. "And how did your meeting with the Elder Stars go, Gekido?" He inquired.

"I had to blackmail them regarding their 'imaginary friend.'" Gekido admitted. "I apologize if I overstepped my bounds, Milord. I just wanted to make sure they offered no resistance and remained committed to the terms of the alliance. And their secrecy regarding their 'friend' seemed to be the best way to do so."

"There's more, my liege." Gekido continued. "The one thought to be imaginary is indeed a real being. A being considered so divine that mortals do not deserve to even know of him. The World Government's true leader hides in the shadows."

Konton let a small smile curl. "Really?" He said in amusement. "What a delightful twist."

"Delightful? Surely this new knowledge alters the plan just a little." Gekido suggested.

"It's of no concern." Konton said. "Our plans are in no need of altering. The Elder Stars are smart men, they know that their only real power is the cult of personality they've created and the marines. They know they'd be fools to overstep their bounds against us. In spite of the tense relationship we have, Sakazuki is relishing the opportunity to eliminate every pirate on the seas. He no longer feels like he's just another attack dog for the Elder Stars and the Celestial Dragons now that he's _my_ pawn."

"Because you've let him off the leash." Rin grinned.

"Exactly," Konton said, "they know we have the advantage in negotiations. Our knowledge of their…master's existence is simply a bonus at this point."

"Do we really intend to allow the Elder Stars to remain as figureheads, Milord?" Gekido inquired curiously.

"Of course," Konton noted with a cheerful but disturbing smile, "I always reward those who follow me."

"They just better pray to _themselves_ or their _lord_ that the people they've ruled over for years don't mind those terms. After all, morality and fear won't hold people back once I've turned them loose from their chains."

Rin smirked at this. "Keeping to the exact words in your deal can be a real bitch, huh?" He mocked the Elder Stars. "Of course, I wonder how many deals those five manipulated in their quest to preserve their own existences, the damn cowards."

Gekido frowned at Rin's words. He hated a lot of things, cowards and Rin's annoying posturing were two of them. "I mean seriously, maybe instead of constantly looking over your shoulder and fearing death, you should look into conquering it, the damn morons." Rin continued to mock the Elder Stars behind their backs. "Seriously, they're making things way too easy for us to control them…er, I mean, too easy for you, Your Majesty."

Konton ignored Rin's backtracking. "Well, done, both of you." He praised. "Your actions have established our kingdom as one that is not to be trifled with, whether you are friend or foe. Not only that, but we have gained more leverage over some hotblooded fools who may one day think rebellion is a smart decision."

"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty." Rin and Gekido said in unison.

"Fear is what people respond to the most." Konton said. "Fear, paranoia, madness, jealousy, hatred, it all drives humanity. Take advantage of all of that, and you help create a true utopia. One where people are free to respond to that which drives them."

"That, gentlemen, is how we will control the universe."

Gekido and Rin both nodded. Konton chuckled inwardly. _I will drive my brother to madness and despair, by forcing him to watch his faith in the universe shatter at the sight of what humanity truly is._

 _Even if there are pockets of resistance, the world will always be prepared to give up its liberties in the name of safety. And what's more, humans will gladly give up their so-called morals if they are truly allowed to truly live free. Nothing to hold them back. Just a world where people are allowed to act on whatever impulses they wish, for good and for ill. The exact opposite of what my brother wants._

 _Because_ _ **everything**_ _is about making Chitsujo suffer!_

Back in the Pirate World, the Alliance Fleets all sailed on to their first destinations. It was currently morning, and it was time for the newspapers to arrive. Even in times of war, the news did not discriminate on who it reached. And the Thousand Sunny was no exception.

Sabo tipped his hat respectfully to the bird who brought him his news. Then, as he opened up the front page, four new wanted posters fell out. He looked on the ground as his eyes widened in utter shock.

Meanwhile, Monkey D. Luffy snored peacefully, dreaming about meat, being King of the Pirates, and being the King of the Pirates with lots of meat. Luffy's dreams were…very simple.

Unfortunately, Luffy was quickly dragged out of dream land by a frantic Sabo. "Luffy! Luffy! Luffy! Luffy!" Sabo screamed in panic, grabbing his brother by his rubbery cheeks and stretching them. "We've got serious news!"

"Huh, wha?" Luffy groggily woke up. "Sabo, leggo of ma cheeks."

Sabo noticed what he was doing and chuckled sheepishly. "Err, right, sorry buddy." He said. "It's just…well, you need to come out and see this."

"Okay, okay," Luffy, needless to say, was not happy about being pulled out of dreamland, but complied. Sabo was his brother, after all.

Sabo dragged Luffy out of his bed and pulled him on deck, where several soldiers stationed on the Thousand Sunny were gathered. They all had shocked expressions on their faces.

"Morning, everyone, what's going on?" Luffy asked curiously.

"Umm…Luffy," Franky was among them, "how large was your last bounty again?"

Luffy thought it over. "500 million, right? I got it after beating up Mingo." Luffy noted.

Sanji nodded, unable to bring himself to smoke the cigarette in his hand. "Okay," he said, "try not to freak out too much."

Luffy then realized what was happening. Stars immediately appeared in his eyes. "Wait, my bounty went up again? AWESOME!"

Luffy excitedly ran over, rudely pushing Akatsuchi out of the way in the process. He saw his picture and grabbed the poster, frantically scanning for the new amount. Then he saw it and his face fell, his heart shattering into a million pieces. A hundred and fifty million to be exact, because his new bounty was…

"It went down to a hundred and fifty million?" Luffy thought, horrified. "NO!"

Everyone fell silent in disbelief at Luffy's reaction, while the Straw Hat Captain went to go sulk in a corner, looking at the bounty with grief on his face. Roronoa Zoro suddenly entered, yawning. "What's all the ruckus about?" He asked before noticing Luffy. "Why's my captain looking so depressed? Did we run out of food already?"

Kagura Mikazuchi looked at Zoro in disbelief. _What kind of dynamic does this crew have?_ She wondered.

Sabo heaved a sigh and walked over. He then noticed where one of Luffy's hands was placed and sighed again, knowing what had happened. "Luffy," he said, "your hand is covering part of the poster."

Luffy perked up at this and removed his hand from the part he was covering up. Things fell silent for a brief moment. Then Luffy screamed so loudly that everyone on the Sunny, and the Sunny herself jumped in surprise. "NO WAY!"

"Wh-what?" Zoro landed, still looking confused.

"My bounty didn't go down," Luffy realized, "it…it went up!"

Luffy shoved the bounty into Zoro's face. His eyes bulged in disbelief. "Straw Hat Luffy," he read, "wanted dead or alive for _1.5 billion beris_?"

"I'm in the billions!" Luffy cheered, running around the Sunny.

"I don't get it," Tony Tony Chopper spoke up, "why would Luffy's bounty triple?"

"It's because he beat the crap out of Zeref," Franky pointed out, "the Coalition's letting the entire world know that our captain is a major threat. One that needs to be eliminated at all costs."

"A major threat on the level of the Four Emperors and their elites," Sabo pointed out, "Luffy has now joined the ranks of powerhouses like Jack the Drought and Charlotte Katakuri."

Sabo then brandished three other wanted posters. "And it's not just Luffy, check out these other three wanted posters that arrived this morning."

Everyone gazed at those three posters in shock. Meanwhile, at the 5th Fleet, Naruto Uzumaki read a wanted poster…with his face on it. "'Demon Fox' Naruto Uzumaki, wanted dead or alive with a bounty of 1.5 billion beris."

"'Salamander' Natsu Dragneel," Natsu read his poster from the 3rd Fleet while hunched over the side of his ship, ready to puke, "wanted dead or alive with a bounty of 1.5 billion beris."

Meanwhile, on the 1st Fleet, Ichigo Kurosaki felt all the color drain from his face as he read the name on his wanted poster. "What. The hell. Kind of name is that?" He inquired.

Nami leaned over his shoulder to read the poster. "'Strawberry Reaper' Ichigo Kurosaki, wanted dead or alive with a bounty of 1.5 billion beris."

Ichigo fell over, feeling the life drain from his body due to such an unflattering nickname. Nami looked at Ichigo in terror. "Wait, so then not only do we have to deal with the Coalition, we have to deal with bounty hunters feeling lucky enough to try and capture you?" She asked fearfully, backing away from Ichigo.

Shunsui Kyōraku flash stepped to Nami's side. "Mmm, that is a big number," he said, making it seem like he was leaning in to look at the poster, when in reality, he wanted to just look deeply at Nami's cleavage.

Unfortunately for Shunsui, Nami was trained at catching people who were perving on her, after spending such a long time at sea with Sanji. "Eyes off, pervert!" Nami screamed, smacking Shunsui in the head with her Clima Tact, flooring the man instantly.

"So rough," Shunsui could not tell whether he was in pain or turned on right now.

Regaining his composure, the leader of the 1st Fleet got to his feet and dusted himself off. "Anyway, I think you should get up, Ichigo. No need to get so depressed." He told the Substitute Soul Reaper.

"Shut up!" Ichigo shot up from his spot and screamed at Shunsui, pointing at his wanted poster. "Why is mine the only one with such a ridiculous nickname?"

"Maybe that was the best they could come up with?" Shunsui suggested, trying to placate the young man.

"WHAT PART OF THIS WANTED POSTER IS INTIMIDATING?" Ichigo demanded.

"…Your face?" Shunsui offered.

"I think we're all missing the point of this new development." Ultear Milkovich entered the scene, snatching the wanted poster from the depressed and furious Ichigo.

"What point, Ul?" Meldy inquired curiously.

"It's not just Ichigo," Ultear pointed out, "all four of the Acts of Order have been given these massive bounties. And I seriously doubt they'll be the last. I think Gajeel mentioned that the government had put a bounty on his head as well, awhile back. There will be more soon."

"Ultear's onto something," Suigetsu Hōzuki spoke up, "the Coalition's sending a message with these bounties."

Everyone looked at Suigetsu. "They're making a point that no matter what happens, all four of these guys won't be able to go to any 'civilized' area, lest they attract the attention of greedy people wanting to retire with that kind of reward money. Ninja villages do the same to guys with bounties on their heads." Suigetsu explained.

Ultear nodded. "These bounties are a warning. A warning that they're going to do everything in their power to take out Ichigo, Natsu, Luffy and Naruto."

"And they're going to do it by any means necessary, even if they have to attract the attention of bounty hunters all over the world." Ultear continued. "This is their strategy for dealing with the boys, they want to distract them with bounty hunters."

Ultear heaved a sigh. "They're using the rules of this world to their advantage." She realized. "The clever bastards."

"She's right," Nami realized, "the ones with the power decide who are wanted and who aren't, and for how much. I mean, we've always viewed our bounties as a sense of accomplishment. It's not like we ever did anything truly pirate-worthy, we just sailed with a jolly roger. Plenty of guys who don't have bounties have done worse than us; way worse."

"But the fact is, those in power decide who's wanted, and the Coalition is using that to their advantage." Nami revealed.

Ichigo finally regained his composure and addressed Nami, although, much to her irritation, he was looking away, still unable to look at her. "So what does this mean?" He asked.

"It means that we won't just have the Coalition as our enemies. Ultear is right." Nami explained. "We're going to deal with bounty hunters, and a crap ton of them."

"I've heard of strategies like this." Nami admitted. "They're basically banking on wearing us out by bull-rushing us with gung-ho bounty hunters. It's sick, but it's also pretty effective. And considering that their only victory was in Hargeon back in the Wizard World, they're probably trying new strategies to gain an advantage over us."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes as he slowly began to realize what this meant. "So basically," he said, "I'm probably going to have to fight even more in order to free this world from these bastards?"

Nami shrugged. "I mean, if you want to break it down to something simple, yeah, but Ichigo, it won't be just you. I can imagine quite a few Alliance soldiers will be receiving bounties in the near future."

Then, she noticed Ichigo smirking slightly. At the other fleets, Natsu, Naruto and Luffy were smirking as well as they began to realize the kind of challenges they would be facing in the near future.

"Bring it on!" They declared in unison.

 **A.N: I think this was a pretty nice return to the story, especially since we do have to address the Reverie. It's honestly a requirement, since it's One Piece.**

 **So, about that announcement. I've been giving this a lot of thought lately, and I think it's time to face facts, there's a lot more that can be done with this story, something that's been brought to my attention since I started the Multiverse Tournament. Furthermore, I've honestly grown to have a tremendous appreciation for the MCU ever since I watched Avengers Infinity War.**

 **So, I think it's time I make things official. I hereby declare the official creation of the Multi-World War Universe. Not only will Five Worlds War continue, but a storyline that will run adjacent to this story will be released soon known as the War of Discoveries.**

 **Why is it called the War of Discoveries? Because it is a tale of war in worlds that are newly discovered. We're talking new characters, new heroes, new villains, and new stakes, hinting at an even greater conflict in the future.**

 **And what are these worlds? Well, I think I'll keep it a secret for the time-being. No sense in revealing what they are just yet. I'll probably just reveal it next year, when I plan to release it. And no, I'm not taking suggestions. I've already planned out the Universe in its entirety. Believe me, I wasn't slacking off this past month.**

 **So, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. If you like my other stuff, I'll see you over at Wild Hunt, where we've got two chapters finished and posted. If not, I'll see you all on October 1st.**


	8. Chapter 8: Battle For the Three Keys

**Happy October, everyone. I am in a much better mood than I have been these past couple months. In fact, I'd say I'm super happy right now. Why? Because I've found a system that works for me. Really, this new monthly posting system? I think it works perfectly. It allows me to work at a much more relaxed pace, while it also gives you a set date to look forward to new content.**

 **It also works with my new job. That's right. Ladies and gentleman, I've entered the working world. I haven't given up on my dream to become published, but I still need to make money somehow until that happens.**

 **But most importantly guys, I'm happy. I just beat Breath of the Wild. Holy crap, that game deserves all the hype and praise it gets. And with Mega Man 11 coming out tomorrow, you better believe I'm going to treat myself and be first in line on Amazon. I've finished one chapter each, of my three main sources of content. In fact, I honestly encourage anyone who just wants to read the stuff I come out with to check out my other sources of content. Especially if you're RWBY fans (Wild Hunt), or love tournament arcs (Multiverse Tournament).**

 **So, I think we can now get started on a brand new arc. The Three Keys Arc. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 8: Battle For the Three Keys**

Since the revelation of the new bounties for the Four Acts of Order, life went on for the five fleets. As Ultear Milkovich had predicted, their bounties had not been the last. Over the next several days, bounties for several big names in the Alliance had arrived on deck.

The field commanders had been the first. They had arrived the day "Drunken Swordsman" Shunsui Kyōraku, wanted dead or alive with a bounty of 1.1 billion. "Scarred Terror" Sabo, wanted dead or alive with a new bounty of 1.02 billion. "Copy Ninja" Kakashi Hatake, wanted dead or alive with a bounty of 1 billion. "White Knight" Byakuya Kuchiki, wanted dead or alive with a bounty of 960 million. "Dark Angel" Jellal Fernandes, wanted dead or alive with a bounty of 950 million. Needless to say, there was much celebrating on the Alliance Fleets that day. The Straw Hats and their view of their bounties as accomplishments, sources of pride, seemed to have rubbed off on their comrades. That being said, the support commanders were utterly furious that they had been brushed off like that.

Then, day by day, bounties of several famous Alliance soldiers arrived on deck. Bounties such as "Titania" Erza Scarlet, wanted dead or alive with a bounty of 500 million. "Frozen Exhibitionist" Gray Fullbuster, wanted dead or alive with a bounty of 320 million. "Black Steel" Gajeel's bounty was raised to 300 million, after his recent string of victories. Needless to say, both Gajeel and Gray found themselves lamenting how low their bounties were, compared to Natsu's. Furthermore, Gray was in utter disbelief at his title. Who wouldn't be with one like that? Meanwhile, Wendy Marvell, much to her comical grief and horror, was given a measly bounty of 30 million with the title: "Sky Maiden," due to being thought of as little more than a small child who just happened to have a lot of power.

Continuing, "Crusher" Gildarts Clive, wanted dead or alive with a bounty of 800 million. Gildarts just laughed, wondering if he should turn himself in and pay off his massive debts. "She Devil" Mirajane Strauss, wanted dead or alive with a bounty of 350 million, much to her giggling glee. "Thunder Beast" Laxus Dreyar, wanted dead or alive with a bounty of 550 million. Freed was furious on Laxus's behalf on how low it was compared to others. "Star Princess" Lucy Heartfilia, however, shocked everyone with her bounty: wanted dead or alive with a bounty of 520 million. Lucy could only gape in utter disbelief at the kind of bounty she commanded. It surpassed Erza's! There was speculation that it was due to her commanding a small army of her own with her celestial spirits, but it was small comfort for poor Lucy, who hated being a wanted woman.

"Ice Dragon" Tōshirō Hitsugaya, wanted dead or alive with a bounty of 600 million. "Snow Princess" Rukia Kuchiki, wanted dead or alive with a bounty of 300 million. "Red Monkey" Renji Abarai, wanted dead or alive, also with a bounty of 300 million. Ichigo started laughing as soon as he saw the bounty and the name. Renji's title was definitely worse than his. "Spirit Archer" Uryū Ishida, wanted dead or alive with a bounty of 750 million. Uryū speculated that it was because of his status as the former crown prince of the Wandenreich, it definitely made him more valuable a bounty to the enemy. Everyone was shocked when Chad did not receive a bounty, but he just shrugged and noted he tended to stay in the shadows anyway. But then the next bounty for a resident of the Soul Reaper Universe arrived, and needless to say, it blew everyone away.

"Sword Demon" Kenpachi Zaraki, wanted dead or alive with a bounty of 1 billion. The first words out of Kenpachi's mouth as soon as he heard the news? "SUCK IT, KUCHIKI!" He yelled out to the Squad 6 Captain before going to drink heavily and celebrate.

"Pink Nightmare" Sakura Haruno, wanted dead or alive with a bounty of 300 million. Sakura was also mortified with her name, and her picture. It was her in the midst of one of her violent mood-swings. "Rapper" Killer B, wanted dead or alive with a bounty of 850 million. B was the exact opposite of Sakura's. He was thrilled his enemies were recognizing him as a rapper.

However, the bounty that blew everyone, even Kenpachi's bounty, out of the water, was Sasuke Uchiha. "Mad Ninja" Sasuke Uchiha, wanted dead or alive with a bounty of 1.25 billion. It should have come as no surprise that the man who was the eternal rival of one of the Acts of Order would receive the bounty closest to them. Sasuke, however, was more focused on his epithet. "I'm not mad anymore." He pointed out with that same deadpan expression as always.

In spite of the varied reactions, however, there was later a celebration tonight across the Alliance Fleet. As mentioned before, the Straw Hats' pride in their own bounties had rubbed off onto the rest of their comrades.

So, it was party time in the Allied Forces. And the general mood could be summed up in a very simple way: go to the 2nd Fleet and check out how Monkey D. Luffy was acting on the Thousand Sunny.

"VICTORY!" Luffy screamed in sheer joy. "I am worth over a billion! I definitely can't count that high but I do know it's a big-ass number."

Roronoa Zoro could only gape in disbelief. "Whoa…" he muttered. "This is officially the most excited Luffy has ever been. And that is saying _a lot_."

"I never realized pirates took so much pride in their bounties." Flare admitted.

"Well, we do in particular. But that's because we work hard to sail from one island to the next, overcoming whatever messed up trial life decides to throw at us." Zoro explained. "You'll get used to it, the more time you spend as part of a crew."

"But you know, right now, it's a bit frustrating." Zoro admitted.

"Huh, why?" Flare asked. "Is it because the timing for this party is bad? I mean, we are in the middle of a war."

"Why didn't my bounty go up?" Zoro absentmindedly asked.

"Wait, that's why you're frustrated?" Flare's mouth dropped open.

Flare then gazed at Renji Abarai, who was now rocking back and forth in a fetal position, still mortified by his bounty title. "Renji," Flare immediately walked over to comfort her gallant knight in shining armor, "it's okay. I mean, maybe instead of lamenting your title, you should instead celebrate that you have such a large bounty."

"Luffy's in the billions," Renji said, clearly unable to find any positives in having such an unflattering nickname for his bounty title.

Flare frowned, clearly bothered by the fact that she could not do anything to help Renji. Then, a thought came to her, courtesy of Lisa Yadōmaru, who had inexplicably been trying to befriend her during the time they had been on break. It was weird actually, why was Lisa constantly talking about Renji during their break?

Well, anyway, Lisa had given Flare plenty of suggestions of "services" Flare can use to cheer up Renji whenever he's upset about something. "Renji," she said.

"Huh?" Renji inquired, still sounding tremendously defeated.

"Would you like me to cheer you up?" Flare asked.

"Okay, Flare, how would you cheer me up?" Renji inquired.

Flare reached up to the buttons on her new top. Flare's outfit had changed since she had joined the Straw Hats. She now wore a blue, button-up top with red stripes to match her red hair along with brown short shorts.

Then, Renji snapped from his depressed stupor, and replaced it with an utterly mortified look as Flare began unbuttoning her top. He turned red with horror and embarrassment. "What are you doing?" He demanded.

"I'm trying to cheer you up." Flare told him innocently.

"Okay, first of all, hell no, do not do that. You should not do something…like that." Renji told her. "A sweet girl like you shouldn't put out so easily."

Flare looked at Renji in confusion. _It's not working._ She noted. _Ms. Lisa said that stuff like this worked with guys._

"Second of all, please don't do something like this in public. People are going to start asking questions, and I really don't think you should be stripping down in public. It should embarrass you." Renji noted.

Flare still had that confused look on her face. She then added a bit of a betrayed look to the mix as well. "Damn it, stop looking all depressed and confused like that! You look like a puppy!" Renji complained.

 _A puppy with inexplicably huge tits on par with Rangiku's._ Renji added inwardly.

Flare nodded and took a deep breath, wiping her confused and sad look off of her face. "Now could you please button up your shirt. I really don't want people to get the wrong idea if they see us." Renji told her, turning as red as his and Flare's hair.

Flare pouted again and buttoned up her shirt. "Seriously, stop looking so depressed!" Renji yelled. "You're making it look like it's my fault or something!"

Flare kept pouting. "Stop it!" Renji pleaded. "Seriously! Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!"

"But how am I supposed to cheer you up?" Flare asked.

Renji sighed. _Sheesh, this girl has no social skills at all. And it's only going to get worse now that she's with Luffy's crew._

 _Hmm,_ Renji thought it over, _perhaps I should use this as an opportunity to give Flare some social lessons. That way, she can at least not be totally screwed when she's with Luffy and the others on the high seas._

"Listen, Flare." Have no fear, Professor Abarai is here! "You can't do something like that. Even if your intentions are good and you want to cheer someone up."

"Huh, but if my intentions are good and I want to cheer someone up, isn't that enough?"

"No," Renji shook his head, "that's sweet of you to say, Flare, but there are still boundaries that you need to consider."

"Boundaries?" Flare looked at Renji in confusion again.

"Yes," Renji nodded, "doing what you were…trying to do, that should be only reserved for someone you…really like."

And unfortunately, Professor Abarai was unable to spell things out clearly, leading to some…awkward situations. "Someone I really like?" Flare inquired curiously.

Flare stared at Renji deeply for a moment, much to the confusion of the Squad 6 Lieutenant. "Umm, Flare, what is it?" Renji asked.

Then, much to Renji's surprise, Flare started unbuttoning her shirt again. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Renji demanded.

"You said someone I really like." Flare pointed out. "So, I'm taking my shirt off again."

"Just because we're friends doesn't mean you should take your shirt off!" Renji yelled. "I meant someone you were in love with you dumb ass!"

Flare paused for a moment. Then before she could decide whether she was going to continue undressing or not, Renji was suddenly kicked in the back of the head. "Quit molesting Flare you bastard!" Sanji yelled, making Renji face-plant onto the deck, knocking himself out cold.

"Renji!" Flare yelled in concern.

"That damn pervert." Sanji said with no sense of irony, glaring at the unconscious Renji while Flare went to check if he was okay.

Meanwhile, Luffy continued to dance about, unaware of the small fight occurring. Right now, nothing else mattered to him but celebrating his brand new bounty. That meant he intended to dance the night away with everything he had.

The loud celebrating, however, had the unfortunate effect of making the already motion sick Laxus even sicker, much to the annoyance of Freed Justine. As Freed seethed with anger at the sight of his leader hunched over the side of the ship, clearly close to blowing chunks and holding his hands over his ears, he came to a very simple conclusion.

Luffy's happiness was the reason behind his leader's distress. So, he had to make Luffy unhappy in order to at least make his leader feel a bit better.

 _THIS IS FOR LAXUS!_ Freed yelled inwardly, channeling his inner ham and drawing his saber against Luffy.

Freed roared as he charged Luffy, planning to smack him in the face repeatedly with the flat end of his sword. Though he appeared to be in an incredibly irrational state at the moment, he at least had the sense to not strike Luffy with the sharp end of his sword. No, he would just smack him as though he were slapping him repeatedly.

Then, before Freed could actually get far, he was suddenly tripped over by an outstretched foot that sent him sailing into the railing of the ship. And just like that, Freed Justine was out cold. Sabo heaved an irritated sigh. "This is my brother's moment, Freed." He pointed out. "The least you could do is respect that enough to not pull goofy crap like that."

Sabo could only hear the incoherent babbling of Freed Justine, who at this point looked like he had birds chirping around his head. "And he is out." Marco gave the verdict, clearly uncaring as he had seen the whole thing and knew why Sabo was going around and tripping his troops.

"1.5 Billion!" Luffy sang a song with no rhythm, tune, or really just musical talent in general. "I can't count, but I know that's a big number! I can't count, but I know that's a big number!"

Thankfully, nobody was calling Luffy out on his horrible singing…mainly because everyone had the foresight to put in earplugs before he started his hellish tune from hell. Hinata Hyūga and Samui, however, laughed in amusement at Luffy's happiness. Both were immensely happy for him and it showed by the beautiful smiles on their faces. _I suppose if I were in his position, I'd feel the same way…actually, I really don't know._ Hinata was one of the many who were confused by the pride pirates had for their bounties.

However, she was also someone who could never turn down a celebration, especially when it was a celebration that put others in such happy moods. That was just who Hinata was in the end. She was joyful when others were joyful, and sad when others were sad.

"Hinata," Hinata gasped slightly and turned to see that Samui wished to speak with her.

"Yes, Samui?" Hinata asked curiously.

Samui gazed at Luffy for moment with a hint of longing. She then turned her attention back to Hinata. "I don't think I ever thanked you…for not holding anything against the Cloud. You and Lord Hiashi have every reason to hate us, and you have a reason to hate me, personally, considering how I blew up at you when I thought Luffy was dead. And now I see that you have not a single malicious bone in your body."

Hinata smiled. "It's in the past," she said, "I'm just glad we're all friends now."

 _Friends…_ Samui thought guiltily before shaking her head.

"Yeah, and that's why," Samui continued, "I just want to say…no matter what happens between us…or our villages in the future. I hope you and I can at least stay friends."

"Of course," Hinata said without hesitation, "nothing would make me happier than to be your friend, Samui."

Samui smiled and nodded. She then returned to gazing longingly at Luffy. _I suppose I can say my conscience is clear._ She mused to herself. _And yet I still can't bring myself to come out and say it to either of them._

 _I'm sorry, Hinata, I want to be your friend and yet I can't bring myself to be completely honest with you. Honestly, I kinda hate myself in that regard. It's so not cool._

 _I just hope, that no matter how things proceed from here…we can still be friends._

Samui was under the impression Hinata had feelings for Luffy. The tragic things is, Hinata did not even know what her feelings were just yet. She just knew that Luffy was special, like everyone dear to her.

And so, this unsaid battle of emotions continued as the 2nd Fleet celebrated the successes of their comrades…

Meanwhile, after coming out of his comically depressed state, Ichigo Kurosaki's mood improved enough where he actually participated in his fleet's own celebration of his and everyone else's recognition by their enemies.

The main reason for the improvement in Ichigo's mood was the fact that he was able to share this success with his "brothers." At the end of the day, Ichigo was a good sibling, first a foremost. Whether it was the cool big brother that Yuzu and Karin looked up to, or the brother of three idiots with hearts of gold, Ichigo was a brother to his family first and foremost. And he would gladly share a celebration with his three "brothers," even if he was stuck with such an embarrassing epithet.

And so, Ichigo wholeheartedly took part in the celebrations with a rare proud smile on his face. Even if the epithet was God awful, he could not deny that being worth that much on his first try was pretty freaking awesome.

Of course, Ichigo was not the type to get drunk and make an ass out of himself. No, that kind of stuff was reserved for Gildarts Clive, who was currently drunk off his ass, celebrating his own massive bounty, and hitting on Rangiku Matsumoto. Weirdly enough, Rangiku, who often flirted back with the people who flirted with her, attempting to get them flustered, actually minded this. Hence the fact that Gildarts was constantly being floored by a karate chop to the head while being pulled back by a shockingly sober Cana Alberona, who seemed more interested in keeping her drunk dad out of trouble.

Life has officially gotten weird…

"Great party, huh?" Ichigo was suddenly asked out of nowhere.

Ichigo looked off to the side and immediately blushed and looked away, this drew a laugh from the person who had sat down next to him. Nami calmed down after laughing and commented on his blush. "At first, I thought there was something wrong with me. But now I see there's something wrong with you."

"Oh no, there's something wrong with you." Ichigo groaned in annoyance. "You're walking around without a shirt. How is anyone in the crew okay with that?"

Nami just laughed. "You'd be surprised. Sanji and Brook love it. And it's too damn hot out on the open sea to not walk around in a bikini all day."

"And hey," Nami teased, "you actually managed to get a full sentence out. You're improving. Now we just have to get you to actually start looking at me."

Ichigo grumbled. Ever since this woman had found out that her choice of attire made him nervous, needless to say she refused to leave him alone. He had honestly hoped she would have been intimidated by the bounty hunters that would be after him, but let it be said that Ichigo was not what you would call lucky.

"So what's up with you, huh?" Nami asked. "I mean, I've seen you talk with Sakura, Juvia too when she was moping around about her 'boyfriend.' So what makes me different. You don't have a crush on me do you."

Ichigo grumbled again, much to Nami's annoyance. "I mean I'm flattered." Nami teased. "I'm pretty damn sexy."

"I don't have a crush on you." Ichigo growled. "I literally just met you. And I'm not really the love-at-first sight type."

"Oh really, then why did you come up and try to talk to me?" Nami asked.

"You were one of the fleet's navigators." Ichigo pointed out.

"You were blushing like a schoolboy." Nami noted.

"I was caught off guard by your outfit…and as much as I hate to admit it, Chad kinda got me interested when he pointed out we have the same hair color." Ichigo noted. "I don't meet too many people with orange hair."

Nami grinned. "Oh yeah, we do." She realized. "See, we've got something in common, it's like we're good friends already. You've got no reason to be nervous around me. So what is it?"

Ichigo sighed, realizing Nami was not going to leave him alone until he fessed up. "Fine, I'll tell you." He groaned before taking a deep breath. "Speaking with beautiful women—especially ones that like to dress like you do—makes me nervous."

Nami's eyes widened at how innocent the delinquent-looking boy was. "Oh my God, that is precious!" She squealed. "And you know what, that's all the more reason to practice talking to me!"

Ichigo groaned. "No, it isn't." He denied.

"I'll be right back!" She got up from her spot. "I'm going to get us drinks! Then we can practice!"

Ichigo could only sputter incoherently as Nami ran off. Why was she doing this? Well, it was not often Nami got a chance to tease someone the way she did now. Half of the men on her crew were blithering idiots. She spent so much time yelling at them, she never got the time to relax and just have some good fun teasing them. And here comes Ichigo, an absolute godsend. Nami was going to have some fun here.

Meanwhile, Shunsui Kyōraku could only drink with a big stupid grin on his face, watching Nami tease Ichigo. "That boy has no idea how lucky he even is." He mused. "I wish a woman would tease me like that."

"Never took you as a masochist, old man." Ultear Milkovich teased, much to the amusement of Meldy, who was sitting next to her adopted mother and best friend.

"I'm not a masochist, but I'm willing to become one if that's what you're into." Shunsui tried his own hand at flirting.

Needless to say, neither Ultear nor Meldy were amused by Shunsui's antics. Shunsui was smacked in the balls by Ultear's weapon of choice, her signature orb. Then, Meldy, set up an empathic link between Shunsui and Gildarts, who was in the midst of getting smacked around by Rangiku.

As such, Shunsui felt every single slap to the face as Ultear and Meldy showed no mercy to the perverted Regional Commander. Cobra Kai would be proud.

With the Third Fleet, Natsu Dragneel was unfortunately, laying on a deck chair, forced to watch a celebration he, by all accounts, should be taking part in. After all, he was a wanted man worth a crap ton of money as well, was he not? He should be laughing and having fun with all of his friends.

But no, he just had to be cursed with the hellish nightmare that was motion sickness. Motion sickness that was triggered as soon as he was on any sort of moving transportation. He hated this. He absolutely hated this.

Natsu groaned in utter discomfort as he gazed out jealously at the party before him. Happy, meanwhile, was no help whatsoever. "Oh my God, Natsu!" Happy squealed. "They're doing the limbo! That looks so much fun, doesn't it?"

"Blech…" Natsu groaned in anger, jealousy, all of the negative emotions you could think of. He wanted to limbo, damn it.

"Whoa, who brought the jello shots?! I didn't even know we had alcohol on this boat!" Happy looked elsewhere.

"Blech…" Okay, now Natsu definitely did not mind missing out on those. He did not drink, and for good reason. Drinking just made everything feel like a moving vehicle.

"Natsu! Natsu! Natsu!" Happy said excitedly. At this point, it was clear that he just did not care that his friend was absolutely miserable at the moment. Then again, Happy had grown used to this by now; too used to this.

"Blech?"

"They have steaks, Natsu, steaks!" Happy yelled. "Oh my God and they even have FISHIES!"

"Blech?!" Now that got a reaction out of poor Natsu. He loved steak. Happy, meanwhile, abandoned Natsu to speed towards the fish, a look of utter glee on his face as he prepared to devour the seafood voraciously.

Rukia Kuchiki, to her credit, saw that Natsu had been left alone by his best friend and decided that he needed some comfort. "You okay, Natsu?" She asked gently.

"Blech." Natsu responded.

"Not good, huh?" Rukia frowned. "I'm sorry, I guess I should've realized this would happen to you. And most of this campaign is going to be on a boat, too. You poor thing, you're going to be miserable for this whole trip, aren't you?"

"Blech," Natsu responded again.

Rukia hummed thoughtfully in response. "Yeah, you are going to be miserable this whole time." She sighed. "Hey, Natsu, do you want me to see if any of our medics has some motion sickness pills?"

"Blech?" Natsu sounded out in confusion.

"You don't know about motion sickness pills? Do they even have motion sickness pills in your world?"

"Blech," Natsu nodded weakly.

"Okay," now things were starting confuse Rukia, "if that's the case, why haven't you been trying any of these motion sickness pills?"

"Blech, blech, blech," Natsu tried his best to create a complete sentence, only for it to come out as more incoherent sick babbling from the Dragon Slayer.

"…Okay, I'm sorry, I can't do this." Rukia sighed. "I cannot understand a word you are a saying."

"Blech…" Natsu seemed to sound like he was lamenting.

"I can actually translate if you want." Mirajane Strauss arrived with her siblings.

"Oh, poor Natsu," Lisanna rested his head on her lap, stroking his hair with a sympathetic look on her face.

"You better not puke on my sister, Natsu." Elfman growled at him. "Not only would it not be manly of you, I will actually rip you to shreds for getting her dirty like that."

"Blech…" Natsu weakly raised a middle finger into the air at Elfman.

"…Yeah," Mirajane sighed, "I don't think you really need a translation for that one."

Rukia nodded. "So what was that vomited out sentence he said earlier?" She asked curiously.

Mirajane gave Natsu a sympathetic smile. "We actually tried to give him some motion sickness pills when he first came to Fairy Tail. Master Makarov took a bunch of us on a trip to an amusement park, and that was when we first discovered his motion sickness problems."

"Yeah, so we bought him some motion sickness pills." Elfman remembered.

"They didn't work." Mirajane sighed. "There is nothing you can do to fix his motion sickness. Even using Wendy's healing spells didn't work after awhile. He just developed some sort of weird immunity to it."

Rukia found herself sympathizing with Natsu even more. "Geez," she muttered, "every time I look at him I just feel bad now. He looks like a sick puppy."

"Blech…" Natsu could only say.

Meanwhile, Kakashi Hatake spent his time partying by doing the one thing he never could do back home in the Hidden Leaf Village: start a book club for the Make-Out series. It was small at the moment. It was just Max Alors, Shūhei Hisagi and Rōjūrō 'Rose' Ōtoribashi. They tried to invite Kiba Inuzuka, but Kakashi had made the mistake of inviting him in front of his mother. Needless to say, Kiba was now screaming in the captain's quarters, having his ass tanned by the might of a mother's open palm.

So what does a book club for a creepy porn book written by a perverted sage do? Well, if we showed you what they were actually saying while discussing the book, the rating for this book would have to change. Let's just point out that they're all blushing and giggling gleefully and leave it at that.

To be fair, Kakashi had started off the meeting with a genuine discussion about how well written the literature was. It just…well, devolved from there.

Meanwhile, with the 5th Fleet, it was Naruto Uzumaki who was proving himself to be a life of the party on the level of Luffy, the man with the most experience with celebrating bounties.

Ever heard of a one-man conga line? Well, Naruto Uzumaki had somehow managed to pull it off in the most amazing way possible: Shadow Clones. A literal army of Naruto Uzumakis were now dancing around the many ships of the 5th Fleet.

Here's an interest thing to consider too, you know how one man's energy can bring up the energy of everyone else present? Well, imagine having an army of that person now, dancing all over the fleet, bringing up the energy of every single person present.

This was the perfect way to describe the party on the 5th Fleet. The most energetic party on the high seas, all because of Naruto Uzumaki bringing up everyone's mood with his own energy.

Meanwhile, Erza Scarlet sat peacefully at a fancy table (where she got it, the world may never now). She was currently munching on her favorite dessert: strawberry cake. Tetsuzaemon Iba, Don Sai and Shinji Hirako were already passed out drunk. Jellal Fernandes was calmly nodding his head to the beat Naruto was dancing too. And at the center of it all was the Soul King, Brook singing and jamming out on his guitar.

"Yo ho ho!" Brook laughed, finishing his latest song. "That was Bone to Be Wild! Let me hear it, people! Did you like that song? Or _did you like that song_?!"

Loud cheers rang out from those participating in this grand celebration. Jellal subtly looked over at Erza, breathing a sigh of relief. He had the chefs of the 5th Fleet bake her a strawberry cake to distract her. He knew that if Brook started playing Erza would try to perform and upstage the skeleton man. He could not allow that, because he knew that Erza got terrible stage fright. It would end poorly for both of them.

"Yo, Soul King!" Kurotsuchi shouted out excitedly. "You take requests?"

"Hell yeah I do!" Brook exclaimed. "Anything for a pretty girl!"

"But first," Brook continued, "I have a request for you!"

"Huh, for me?" Kurotsuchi was surprised.

Kurotsuchi blushed in embarrassment. _Hold on, he doesn't want me to stand up next to him and perform with him, does he? Oh no, I haven't mentally prepared myself for this at all!_

Actually, she has. Kurotsuchi secretly performed at karaoke bars for fun. Of course, her kunoichi pride would never have her admit to that. The world must never know that the Dark Mistress of the Voice, the legendary karaoke singer of the Hidden Rock Village, was also Kurotsuchi. Never…

"Yes, I will sing with you-"

"Could you please," Brook cut her off, "show me your panties!"

Kurotsuchi immediately turned red with rage. However, before she could deliver the might of female fury, Kitsuchi decided to show his fatherly fury instead. "Hell no, Bonehead!" Kitsuchi yelled, punching Brook square in the face and rocketing him away from Kurotsuchi.

Jellal watched in horror as all his planning went to hell in a split second. First, the army of Naruto all stopped dancing, visibly saddened as the music stopped. Brook fell right into the table Erza was eating at, destroying it, and her strawberry cake in the process.

And just like that…the devil was unleashed.

Erza went pale, horrified. "My…strawberry…cake…"

"It appears I may have actually made a mistake this time." Brook noted. "I should've known better to ask to see the panties of a girl in front of her father. I should've seen that coming; but wait, I don't have any eyes!"

"You klutz!" Erza screamed, kicking Brook in the ribs and, sending him careening into the other side of the ship.

"BROOK!" Jellal face-faulted, horrified at the abuse the musician was going through.

Erza then gasped, realizing what she had done. "Oh no, I just took away our musician!" She gasped.

"Actually, give me a minute and I'll be right back on my feet." Brook wheezed. "I'm used to this by now."

"The show must go on!" Erza ignored Brook and immediately began going through her vocal exercises.

 _Oh no…_ Jellal moaned, horrified at what was about to happen.

"My friends!" Erza declared. "Prepare to hear the voice of an angel! This goes out…to all of you!"

Admittedly, everyone was actually interested. Could Titania Erza actually sing? Then, Erza realized what she was about to do, went pale, and began stuttering. "Da…bo…dah…buh…" Erza stammered and stuttered, visibly frightened at the thought of performing.

Jellal sighed. "Oh damn it…" he groaned. His plans were a miserable failure.

The real Naruto gaped in disbelief at Erza's behavior. The great Titania Erza was being beaten by stage fright. The rest of the 5th Fleet was also mortified at the sight. They were never going to know if Erza could actually sing, because she was never going to get a single sentence out.

And just like that, the party was brought to a screeching halt…

The next day, Byakuya Kuchiki and the entirety of the 4th Fleet were treated to a very odd sight. Before them was a massive barrier made of pure purple energy. "…What the hell are we looking at, Sir?" Shikamaru Nara asked of the commander.

Byakuya Kuchiki shook his head. "I honestly don't know." He admitted, holding out his Zanpakutō in front of him. "Shikamaru, you might want to stand back for this."

Shikamaru sighed in boredom and stepped back. "Scatter, Senbonzakura." Byakuya commanded, activating his Shikai and commanding the cherry blossom blades to attack the giant barrier.

And yes, it spanned the entirety of the ocean. Another one of Sagi's new contraptions; when you have hundreds of years to perfect your experiments and inventions, you come up with some truly amazing stuff. Thankfully, resources were still limited, so Sagi was not able to build multiple copies of this barrier.

Byakuya watched as Senbonzakura collided with the barrier. Then, much to his irritation, the barrier did not go down at all. Sasuke Uchiha appeared at Byakuya's side. "You want me to take a shot at it?" He asked curiously.

"No," Byakuya shook his head. "If I can't do it, I don't expect you to be able to pull it off either."

Sasuke folded his arms. "Is that a challenge, Commander? I may not be the man I once was, but I still won't take someone talking down to me, lying down."

"Go ahead and take a shot then." Byakuya walked past him as his Zanpakutō formed back into a regular katana.

Sasuke stepped forward. "Inferno Style!" Sasuke yelled, his eyes morphing into his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan and speeding through multiple Hand Signs. The black flames of Amaterasu suddenly appeared around his hands. "Black Dragon Flame!"

Sasuke fired the black flames forward like a giant flamethrower, striking the barrier. He did not keep up the attack for long, because he immediately noticed that the barrier was not giving an inch.

"What a drag," Shikamaru groaned, "are you telling it can shrug off one of Sasuke's attacks."

"Shikamaru," Byakuya spoke up, "please contact command and tell them our progress has been impeded by a giant purple barrier."

Shikamaru groaned again. "Why am I not surprised I ended up saying a sentence like that at some point in my life? God, I hate how my life has turned out."

"Shikamaru, is that complaining I here?" Byakuya inquired.

"No, sir, I love my job." Shikamaru said, clearly lying.

"That's what I thought." Byakuya nodded.

This was actually how their relationship was nowadays. Byakuya, oddly enough, provided a perfect counter to Shikamaru's snarky, lazy sarcasm with his cold seriousness. And so, even though he hated effort like always, Shikamaru stepped into the captain's quarters of the 4th Fleet's flagship to contact command with their Transponder Snail.

"…A giant purple barrier?" Monkey D. Dragon repeated with a deadpan expression on his face back at Dressrosa.

"That's correct, sir." Shikamaru responded on the other end.

"Did you try hitting it really, really hard." Dragon asked.

"That sounds like something your son would do, sir." Shikamaru pointed out in a snarky tone.

"Yes, and it seems to have worked out very well for my boy so far." Dragon pointed out, frowning at his son being the victim of Shikamaru's snark.

"Anyway, to answer your question, Supreme Commander, we did try hitting it very hard. Sasuke hit it with one of his Inferno Style Jutsus, and unfortunately, that did not work out at all. It just shrugged off his attack like it was nothing. I just want to point out, this was Sasuke Uchiha's attack."

"I'm well aware of how strong Sasuke is, Shikamaru." Dragon told him. "What I want to know is how you intend to fix it."

"Unfortunately, there isn't much we have to go on, other than that it's a barrier, it's in our way, it sucks, and we can't get through it, no matter what we throw at it."

"Hey, Supreme Commander!" Benn Beckman suddenly called out. "I've got the 5th Fleet on the line. They said they're trapped behind some barrier too. It's preventing them from advancing.

Dragon rubbed his head in exhaustion, already feeling a headache coming along. There was only one person he could trust to deal with a barrier problem. "Kisuke!" He called out to the handsome, perverted shopkeeper of the Soul Reaper world.

Kisuke was immediately at Dragon's side. "You called?" He teased.

"I need you to transport yourself to either the 5th Fleet's location, or the 4th's." Dragon said. "I don't care, just go to one of those places and tell me what this thing is and how we take it down."

"You got it." Kisuke grinned, taking out his fan. "You just sit back and leave it to this handsome, genius, amazing, spectacular, erotic shopkeeper."

Dragon sighed. "Just go, Kisuke."

Kisuke sped off, excited to do some research about the barrier. "Okay," he said, "can someone please explain to me what this probably is?"

"We should probably get a navigator on this." Mavis Vermillion pointed out. "Why was a barrier placed there of all places? They knew we were stationed at Dressrosa. Why not trap us in a barrier that surrounded here?"

"A navigator is going to help us on this?" Shikaku Nara seemed confused.

"It's all about location, Shikaku." Mavis said. "Everything is placed for a reason. This includes defenses meant to slow down your enemies."

Dragon immediately had a name in mind. "My son's got the best navigator I've seen in years." He noted. "Her name was…Nami, right? Yeah, that was it."

"Shikamaru, I need you to get a map out and tell me your exact coordinates." Dragon ordered Shikamaru via the Transponder Snail.

"If you think it will help, sir, I'll do it." Shikamaru told him. "I'm ending transmission."

With that, Shikamaru cut the feed. "Beckman," Dragon said to the first mate of the Red Hiared Pirates. "Tell the 5th Fleet to give us their position as well."

"You have an idea too, Supreme Commander?" Mavis inquired curiously.

"Call it a hunch, I think you've got the right idea, Mavis." Dragon pointed out

A short time later, at the 1st Fleet, Nami reviewed the map placed before her, along with the coordinates that had been given to her by the 5th and 4th Fleets. Nami shook her head. "Did no one notice this?" She asked. "This was something even a rookie navigator would've noticed."

Shunsui Kyōraku deadpanned at Nami's change in attitude. Apparently, the girl was a completely different person when she was in "Navigator Mode." "Okay," he said, "how about you tell me why this is so obvious?"

Nami grabbed a quill and ran it in a straight line, crossing through the two coordinates. "See this?" She asked. "You didn't need me for this. If you had just looked a bit harder, you would've seen it."

"What is it?" Gildarts Clive demanded, a bit put off by how bossy Nami was.

"Okay, think of this black line as the barrier." Nami pointed out. "This is where the 4th and the 5th Fleet are, following their paths out of the New World and back into Paradise. Notice anything strange about this?"

"No," Shunsui and Gildarts said in unison.

"And that, gentlemen, is why you two are the muscle, and this delicate, young thing, is the navigator, the brains of this operation." Nami pointed out.

Shunsui and Gildarts looked at each other. "Nami, with an attitude like that, you are going to repel any possible partner." Gildarts pointed out.

"Gildarts, if you keep talking about crap like that, it won't just be my attitude that will repel you." Nami promised. "Now be quiet and let me explain."

Nami then pointed to three islands that were right in front of the black line. "Take a look," she said, "look familiar?"

"No," Shunsui and Gildarts said again.

"Are you freaking kidding me? Look at the line that passes through the islands. They're the three islands that serve as the entrance to the New World."

"Risky Red Island, Raijin Island and Mystoria Island," Nami gestured to each island, one by one, "thankfully, Punk Hazard wasn't an issue because it's too treacherous a terrain that even the Coalition wants nothing to do with. But that leaves us with these three islands, the entry points to the New World."

"Now, you notice how they're literally right in front of the barrier?" Nami asked.

Shunsui and Gildarts both nodded. "If I had to guess," Nami said, "and this is just a theory by the way, but a damn good one. But if I had to guess, I'd say that whatever this barrier is, it is being held up by something on those islands."

"All three?" Gildarts raised an eyebrow at Nami's statement.

"Or just one," Nami shrugged, "but honestly, I wouldn't put it past the Coalition to go for all three. Again, this is only a theory, but just based on this map, I can say, with probably 90% certainty, that this barrier is being powered by something on those islands."

"Our fleet, the 2nd Fleet, and the 3rd Fleet are heading those ways." Shunsui pointed out.

Nami nodded. "So if we want to continue onward, we need to win these next three battles." She pointed out.

The transponder snail suddenly rang out. Shunsui walked over and answered. "Hello!" A jovial voice said with glee.

"What is it, Kisuke?" Shunsui recognized the voice.

"It's a shock absorption barrier." Kisuke revealed immediately. "No matter what we throw at it, the barrier just absorbs the impact and the attack. If we're going to take this thing down, we need to take it down at the source."

"Well, I think we just found the source." Shunsui revealed.

"That's good," Kisuke nodded, "that's the only guaranteed way to take down this barrier. Otherwise, the 4th and 5th Fleet are going to be stuck here forever."

"Don't worry, Kisuke, we're coming up with a plan right now." Shunsui assured him.

"Well, I hope that plan involves you tracking down the source and turning it off there." Kisuke said. "Just by looking at this thing and running some tests on it, I can tell you with absolute certainty that you can't take this barrier down by hitting it really hard."

"What makes you say that?" Gildarts leaned in to talk on the snail.

"For one thing, it can take a lot of punishment." Kisuke explained. "I hit this thing with a level 90 Hadō just to test its durability. Shock absorption takes the energy of the impact and converts it into different energy, and then disperses it. In other words, if it can shrug off Level 90 Hadō like it's nothing, it can shrug off anything."

"And even if you somehow manage to take it down with brute force, there's no telling how long it'll actually stay that way." Kisuke continued. "For all we know, it could just reform after a few minutes of being offline, and then you're back to square one. And what's worse, what if it comes back online while people are sailing across the 'barrier-line'? If that happens, you're going to have a lot of sunken ships and a lot of drowning sailors."

"So listen, if you guys have an idea where the actual source of the barrier is; their locations, you need to go there and turn it off manually." Kisuke made it clear to them. "It's a bit of a longer process, but it's the only guarantee you have of taking down the barrier without risking any of our comrades. And frankly, that is the most important thing."

"That's basically what we got from Nami's assessment as well." Shunsui nodded. "Thanks Kisuke, I don't care what Yoruichi says about you, you're awesome."

"Wait, what does she say-" Kisuke was cut off by Shunsui cutting communications between the two with a trollish smile on his face.

Gildarts gave Shunsui a deadpan expression. "She doesn't actually say anything about him, right?"

"Of course not," Shunsui laughed, "that is literally the best way to get a rise out of Kisuke. Yoruichi used to do the same to him when he was a part of Squad 2."

"Mean!" Gildarts exclaimed with a trollish smile on his face as well.

The two laughed boisterously at the fact they were clearly torturing Kisuke with such a simple little prank. Nami looked at Shunsui and Gildarts in disbelief at how childish the two were. "Wow…" she muttered, turning around and walking outside of the captain's quarters.

She shook her head. "I guess I've gotten a bit too used to a professional leader in Commander Kuchiki…and as a result, I forgot that there are childish doofuses like Commander Kyōraku and Luffy who are put in charge."

"Ugh," Nami groaned, "if I hadn't survived so many adventures with Luffy, I'd be absolutely certain I'm doomed to die under the commander's leadership."

Nami then bumped into several feet of pure muscle. "Hey, could you watch it!" She snapped at the mountain of muscle.

"Sorry…you weren't really paying attention to where you were going." Chad told her.

"Oh, you're Ichigo's friend, right?" Nami asked.

Chad nodded. "Ichigo wanted me to ask you: 'what's the news from Commander Kyōraku and Gildarts?'" He said.

"Okay," Nami gave Chad a deadpan expression, "why is Ichigo not asking me this question?"

"Because he knows you're just going to tease him again, so he just wants to deal with that. I'm fine with being his messenger, he is my best friend." Chad admitted.

Nami groaned. "He's not going to win that easy." She vowed. "Okay…it's Chad, right?"

Chad nodded. "Okay, Chad, here's what we got from Mr. Urahara, Commander Kyōraku and Gildarts. It's a shock absorption barrier that can absorb even the strongest attacks. Even if we somehow manage something like that, there's no guarantee it will stay down, which puts the 4th and 5th Fleet in serious jeopardy." Nami explained.

Chad nodded again. "And what's more, I just got done analyzing a map." Nami continued. "The barrier is literally right behind the three islands that are the entry points into the New World. Our theory is that the source of the barrier is either on one, two, or all three of those islands."

"And our fleet is heading to one of them." Chad realized.

Nami nodded. "Yeah, so you tell Ichigo he better bet his game face on. I'll gladly leave him alone for a few days if he pulls double duty and kicks twice as much ass so I don't have to." She said in a completely serious tone.

Chad looked at Nami in a completely unreadable expression. "I'll…make sure he gets the message." Chad nodded.

"Hey, out of curiosity, has Ichigo always been shy around women like me?" Nami smiled mischievously.

"Yes," Chad said without hesitation, "although I don't think I've ever seen a woman as persistent as you."

"Damn right," Nami grinned.

"Why?" Chad asked. "Why the persistence?"

"Because frankly, I spend so much time babysitting boys, it's good to just get a chance to tease instead of looking after them. If anything, Ichigo should take it as a compliment. I actually think he's so mature, I'm able to tease him, instead of do what I usually do with the boys in my crew."

"That is some very strange logic." Chad said bluntly.

Nami pouted again. "Now you're just being rude, Chad." She said. "Now you have to go and tell Ichigo that he better send a much nicer messenger if he wants to keep doing this."

"Or you could just go and talk to Ichigo yourself and not tease him with your body." Chad suggested.

"WHAT?!" Nami started swinging her arms around like a child. "But that's not fun at all! I need this, Chad! My crew stresses me out so much that I need this! NEED IT!"

Chad looked at Nami in disbelief. The normally calm and patient Chad was already at the end of his rope with the Straw Hat's navigator and unofficial princess, considering how everyone's afraid of stepping on her toes. _This is going to be a long campaign._ He realized.

The next day, three fleets were on the outskirts of the three islands. Monkey D. Luffy had stars in his eyes as he gazed at Raijin Island, the island of perpetual lightning strikes. Renji Abarai was looking at the Log Pose before him in disbelief. "Holy crap," he said, "this thing started spinning wildly as soon as we got close to it. Even with Menou's top scientists, we still could not avoid the weather here?"

"Makes you wonder why we even avoided Punk Hazard." Zoro pointed out. "Danger's here in no matter where we go."

"Because it was too damn dangerous for even the Coalition, stupid Moss Head." Sanji replied.

Zoro instinctively swung at Sanji, who blocked the blade with his leg. "So cool! So cool! So cool! So cool! So cool!" Luffy squealed repeatedly. "We have to go there! We have to go there! Please tell me we're going there!"

"Yes, Luffy, we're going there." Sabo assured his brother, arriving at the side to gaze at Raijin Island. "Well, some of us are anyway."

"Huh?" Sanji looked at Sabo. "We're not all going?"

"Sanji, this place is like a low-key version of Punk Hazard." Sabo pointed out. "We skipped that island because we knew even the Coalition wouldn't put their troops in such a dangerous position, whether it's the volcanic side or the arctic side. This place, with all the lightning, is almost as dangerous."

"And you think the Coalition would station their troops here?" Renji frowned, handing the Log Pose back to Sabo.

"I do, because you can plan for lightning. When it comes to extreme conditions like lava and ice, the best thing you can do is evacuate and get the hell out of dodge."

"Even ice?" Zoro frowned.

"How many armies have fallen apart because of frigid conditions?" Sabo pointed out.

"Now come on, we're putting together a team to take this island."

"Just a team?" Sanji was surprised.

"Well, it'll be a small force, definitely not a team." Sabo shrugged. "We're getting the team together right now. Luffy, let me tell you right now, you're definitely going to be a part of this team. Same with me, we both have ways of avoiding lightning."

"AWESOME!" Luffy screamed with glee.

Indeed, Sabo already had most of the team put together. There were a few soldiers from the Stealth Division, including Anko Mitarashi, Nico Robin, and Yoruichi Shihōin's little brother and current head of the Shihōin Clan: Yūshirō Shihōin. And from the fighting divisions, Sabo, Luffy, Tony Tony Chopper, (to treat any and all injuries from lightning), Carrot of the Mink Tribe, Uryū Ishida, Neliel Tu Odelschwanck, Mashirō Kuna, Kensei Muguruma, Laxus Dreyar, Freed Justine, Bickslow, Rufus Lore, Millianna, Hinata Hyūga, Akatsuchi, Samui, and Maki of the Hidden Sand. A fifth out of this small force of a hundred soldiers.

"I'm going to level with you guys," Sabo said to them all, "we knew this would be a thing. Raijin Island is known for being extremely hazardous, especially to large groups. The more of us that enter that island, the more packed together we are, and that makes us vulnerable to lightning strikes. So, we're going to rely on a small force that can move around quickly and either avoid the lightning or absorb it."

"That's where you all come in. You all fit that description to some degree." Sabo explained to them. "This is a very simple deal. Insertion onto the island, take out anyone who gets in your way, and destroy anything that looks like it could be powering the barrier."

"Hell yeah!" Luffy screamed. "We're going to do what we do best here!"

"And that is?" Anko raised an eyebrow at her friend's captain's behavior.

"Kick names and take ass!" Luffy yelled.

Laxus's mouth dropped open. "…Wow." He muttered in disbelief as he put on a face that looked like he was seriously considering all of his life choices, and not just the part of his life where he was a total tool to everyone.

Robin just laughed at Luffy's cheerfulness, much to the confusion of Anko. "Is this seriously how things usually are with your captain?" She asked.

"You'll get used to it." Robin smiled. "Luffy's wonderful when you get to know him."

Yūshirō, meanwhile, was looking at everyone, visibly intimidated because of how everyone was behaving. _Why couldn't I be with big sister?_ He lamented. _All of these people are super scary!_

Meanwhile, outside of Mystoria Island, Shunsui Kyōraku gazed at the island shrouded in a perpetual fog, hence the name of "Mystoria". The island that is a mystery to all, due to its interior being unseeable. Ichigo Kurosaki shook his head at the sight of the island. "Attacking this place is unsafe, you know that, right?"

Shunsui nodded. "You're right," he said, "but you know how you get rid of a fog bank?"

"You wait for it to pass forward." Ichigo deadpanned. "Shunsui, you can't just manually control the weather."

"Actually, we can," Shunsui grinned, "we're going to blow this freaking fog away. Pull back the curtain on this island and show the world what it really is."

"How long did it take you to come up with that line?" Ichigo asked, keeping the deadpan expression.

"A day," Shunsui responded, going to rally the troops.

Ichigo shook his head. "I swear, he stopped trying at some point." He muttered.

And finally, there was Risky Red Island, an island where the only way to survive was to take risks. Hey, what can I say? These islands were named as such for a reason. Drum Island was called Drum Island because the mountains looked like Drums. Little Garden was called Little Garden ironically because there was nothing little about that island.

Natsu Dragneel looked out at the island and took note of one thing. "That place looks like a death trap." He managed, having gotten used to his motion sickness enough to at least form complete, articulate sentences.

Indeed it did, the island was one part island, one part canyon, one part dangerous cliffs. "Indeed it does." Kakashi Hatake nodded in agreement. "Luckily for us, we're good at avoiding death traps that are more 'death' than 'trap.'"

"Huh?" Natsu looked at Kakashi in confusion.

"We know what kind of hazards there are, and unlike the weather conditions of Punk Hazard, we can plan for them." Kakashi explained, gesturing to the steep-looking cliffs. "We've got Earth Jutsu users for exact moments like these."

"Cool…well, the sooner I can get off this ship, the better." Natsu groaned.

And now, we take a moment to gaze at the happenings on the three entry-points. First, Raijin Island; a blue-skinned man with fangs groaned in annoyance as he looked around and took in the sights, or lack thereof. It was just lightning, lightning, lightning and more lightning. "This is dumb," he said, "we've been here for a day and I still have no idea what's on this island. How the hell are we supposed to defend a place if we're constantly having to look where we're stepping?"

He turned to his partner, who was meditating in silence. "Hey, you get what I'm saying, right?"

The man opened his eyes and gazed at his partner in his usual unreadable expression. "I do…I just choose not to complain about it. We are soldiers, Kisame. We do not think, we just do."

Kisame Hoshigaki chuckled. "You would think like that, wouldn't you, Mr. Uchiha Clan Massacre."

Itachi Uchiha, older brother of Sasuke Uchiha and the man who committed the Uchiha Massacre, glared at Kisame. Kisame, realizing he had gone too far, sighed. "I'm sorry, I guess after spending years knowing the 'fake you,' I find myself getting to know you all over again. So I guess I'm learning about what kind of jokes I can actually get away with, with you."

Itachi hummed thoughtfully at that before saying something completely genuine. "For what it's worth, Kisame," he said to his old partner, "even if much of my actions in the Akatsuki were to derail the organization's efforts in the long-run, I genuinely thought of you as a friend."

Kisame was taken aback by that statement for a moment before grinning. "Ditto, Itachi," he said, "you were always the only guy in the Akatsuki who truly understood me. We both know what it's like to give everything for our village, only to be tossed aside when convenient."

"My village never tossed me aside," Itachi claimed, "what happened to you was simply tragic."

Kisame chuckled. "Perhaps it's because you always had your own agenda that we got along." He suggested. "We each had our own truth to work towards, and that made us the ideal partner. I wanted to see Obito create his world of truth in order to find mine, and you wanted to create a truth where the Uchiha Clan were fallen martyrs."

Kisame then gave Itachi a genuinely sympathetic gaze. "It's too bad though…now I don't know if I'm getting to know the real you, or what Lord Konton wants you to be."

Itachi sighed. "I suppose so."

The two sat in awkward silence for a moment before Kisame heaved a sigh. "Geez, you know, I never realized this, but we are crappy at conversations."

Itachi nodded in agreement. "I mean, even back then, they were always pretty much one-way conversations with myself. You always just grunted, sighed and brooded."

Itachi could not help but chuckle at this. "I think it might be a family trait." He joked.

Kisame's mouth dropped open. "Holy crap," he said, "I didn't think you were capable of making a joke."

"I am, and I can assure you, I'm still a very capable fighter." Itachi said. "Whoever arrives here will have a very difficult time."

Meanwhile, on Mystoria Island, a monstrous looking individual sat in silence in the deep fog of Mystoria. "Hate…hate them all." He said. "Will never…forgive…"

"Will never forgive…Nami." He growled.

Finally, camping out at the base of some cliffs on Risky Red Island was a bandaged up man with no eyebrows and his effeminate compatriot. "Haku, neither of us have a choice, but I'll ask you anyway. Are you ready to fight? Reports are coming in that enemy ships are coming in."

Haku smiled. In spite of everything that was happening, he was happy to see that Zabuza was becoming more and more open with him. It really felt like he had a proper father for a change. "I am ready, Zabuza. I don't enjoy fighting, but as long as I'm with you…I think I can find a silver lining in this new hellish existence of ours."

Zabuza sighed. "As pure as the snow," he muttered.

With his conscience cleared, Zabuza hefted his copy of the Executioner's Blade and prepared for the inevitable arrival for their enemies.

Raijin Island, Mystoria Island, and Risky Red Island; three subsequent battles were about to take place. And they were all must wins for the Alliance. Otherwise their progress would end before they could truly begin…

 **A.N: This was surprisingly fun to write. I don't know why, it just was. Well, I'll see you all in a month. Let's find out just how much I can get done this time!**


	9. Chapter 9: Thunderstruck

**AN: Unfortunately, there will be no omakes this month, or for awhile. Time just isn't on my side at the moment. Although, when we do, my good buddy Ryuzaki will be handling the omake deal. Sorry, MamaBear, I really am. Although, didn't I do Brook performing Photograph during the Fairy Tail Campaign. I am almost 100% sure I did. Well, anyway, time for two One Piece Campaign Chapters.**

 **Chapter 9: Thunderstruck**

The sun began to rise on a new day in the New World. Three different events were happening all over the entry point as the battle to rescue the Pirate World from Coalition control officially began. Lightning flashed perpetually over the aptly named Raijin Island as a single ship sailed towards the dangerous area.

2nd Division Commander Sabo gazed out at the area before him. "Raijin Island," he muttered to himself, "the hellish island of the thunder god, where poor travelers are fried by powerful bolts of lightning."

"And we have to go there and liberate it to destroy a freaking barrier thingamajig." Sabo sighed. "What could possibly go wrong?"

Sabo almost had a split personality ever since he had been saved by Dragon and brought aboard as the Revolutionary Army's Chief of Staff. On one hand, he was extremely passionate with a fire to match his new Devil Fruit Powers. He often got himself in a lot of trouble, rushing _into_ trouble. How many times had Koala or Hack smacked him upside the head for his carelessness? Well…a lot of times. It was a pretty simple answer, honestly.

Weirdly enough though, there was another part of his personality that was the exact opposite: cautious, sarcastic and introspective. A strange combination, yes, but that is to be expected when you have a split personality, right?

"In all my years, I've never once visited Raijin Island…for very obvious reasons." Sabo noted. "This is going to be a new experience for us. And there aren't any maps in existence because of how dangerous this place is. That means, we as warriors are going into this place completely blind."

Sabo heaved a sigh. "Damn," he cursed, "you'd think things would get easier the longer we're at this. But no, it just gets harder. It just doesn't seem fair."

"Hey, Sabo!" Luffy ran up to his adopted brother. "Are we making land soon?" He asked curiously.

"Soon," Sabo promised before looking up to the sky, "hey, Luffy?"

"Yeah?" Luffy asked curiously.

"Things are just getting harder from here on out, right?" Sabo asked.

"I mean, yeah," Luffy shrugged, "I mean, the more we win, the closer we get to Konton, right? That means things should get tougher. But that's fine, I've always liked a challenge."

"It's weird, isn't it?" Sabo asked. "As things get harder, I can't help but feel like we're being judged because of how hard things are. Isn't that weird? Maybe this war is just weighing on me."

"That is weird." Luffy nodded in agreement.

Sabo laughed. "Well…whoever's judging us, you'd think they'd be a bit more sympathetic, considering how hard things are getting. But, again, I'm sure it's just because this war is starting to weigh on me a bit."

"Anyway, since we're making land soon, we should probably get the rest of the troops ready." Sabo noted. "Come on, Luffy, let's go get the others."

Sabo and Luffy quickly gathered the 98 other troops, where Sabo went over the plan once more. "This is a small force." Sabo reminded them. "And that means, we will be moving faster than we usually do."

"And I want this to be quick and clean. We're not here to create a drawn out conflict. We're going to go in, track down whatever it is that's keeping up the barrier, destroy it, and we get the hell out of here."

"And you brought in people who aren't known for stealth?" Anko Mitarashi could not help but point out. "That seems a bit…dumb, Commander."

"Anko!" Nico Robin said sharply. "Sabo must've had a reason for this."

"She's right to doubt me, Robin." Sabo smiled. "But I'm no fool. God only knows what's on that island. Even if we've all been training while we were on break, we don't know what the Coalition's been up to in those months we had off."

"But, because we've been training, I trust us to be able to bring down anything that comes after us quickly and cleanly." Sabo said. "But just remember, I expect us all to come back alive from this. I know that sounds a bit unrealistic, but…I have faith we can all come back from this mission with a zero casualties."

Tony Tony Chopper voiced his agreement at this. "Yeah!" He cheered. "Don't worry everyone, I'm a great doctor, so if anyone does get hurt…I'll heal you all!"

"That's right, because Chopper's an awesome doctor!" Luffy complimented his ship doctor and friend.

"I couldn't imagine a better one." Robin nodded in agreement.

Chopper blushed, embarrassed at the praise from his two friends. However, a few of Sabo's group were looking at Chopper in utter bafflement. "Umm…what?" Chopper asked. "Do I have something on my face?"

Bickslow then screamed in fear. "There's a talking raccoon dog here!" He screamed.

"What?! I'm a reindeer, damn it!" Chopper yelled.

"Whoa…okay, that is just too much for me to handle, man." Bickslow looked at this.

"What are you talking about?" Freed asked in disbelief. "We have three talking cats in our guild and you can't handle a talking reindeer? Do you not hear how ridiculous you sound?"

Anko Mitarashi, however, managed to distract everyone from their surprise with a very out of character response. Chopper screamed in surprise as Anko grabbed Chopper and pulled him into her chest. "So CUTE!" She squealed happily. "Cute! Cute! Cute! Cute! Cute!"

Robin's mouth dropped open. She only saw Anko this happy when she was eating dumplings and red bean soup. "Robin?!" Anko yelled at her friend with stars in her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me that you were keeping something this adorable with you all this time?"

"Umm…it just never came up I guess." Robin shrugged.

"Well it's okay now, because we're together." Anko nuzzled Chopper. "I will love him, and pet him, and make him happy forever and ever."

"Aww, come on!" Chopper wrestled himself away from Anko's grip and started doing his usual dance. "Calling me cute and making all those promises isn't going to make me happy you big jerk!"

 _Then why do you seem happy?_ Everyone but Anko, Robin and Luffy wondered.

Anko, meanwhile, somehow looked even happier at the sight of Chopper doing his little dance. "OH MY GOD!" She screamed. "Somehow you look even cuter!"

Anko grabbed Chopper and pulled him into another hug. "So cute! So cute! So cute!" Anko chanted happily.

"Wow…" Robin looked at Anko in disbelief. "…I never would've imagined Anko had such a…loving side towards cute things. Learn something new every day."

Sabo coughed to get everyone's attention back on him. "Anyway, the plan is quite simple." He said. "The good news is, this will be a relatively simple operation, because the Coalition has made this a bit easier for us than it should be."

"First, from what our watchmen could tell us, there are no patrols or lookouts due to the weather. It's not safe to have any kind of lookout because they'll just get struck by lightning and killed." Sabo explained. "That means, we still have the element of surprise."

"And it also means we're going to be in awful danger when we get there." Rufus Lore noted.

"And that is exactly why our assault will be in a small group," Sabo pointed out, "the more we can spread out, the easier we can avoid any errant lightning strikes. Think of it this way: the odds of being struck by lightning are 1 in 700,000. That means, as long as we move in small groups, we should be okay."

"That's very optimistic," Laxus pointed out.

"Maybe, but we're also decreasing our chances of getting hurt by bringing people who are incredibly fast, have some sort of immunity to lightning, or can block the lightning bolts with ease." Sabo explained.

"Anyway, once we reach Raijin Island, we need to get through this as quickly as possible. Once we reach Raijin Island, we'll be splitting off into pairs. Comb every inch of the island and find what's powering the barrier. The 1st and 3rd Fleets will be doing the same. It's up to us to do our part and beat this island and its challenges."

"So yeah, we're going to split into pairs and comb the island together. From there, your assignment is simple. Come back alive, take down anyone who gets in your way, and the pair that destroys whatever's powering the barrier gets a prize." Sabo grinned at that statement.

"A prize?" Luffy asked excitedly.

"That's right," Sabo gave everyone a competitive smirk, "the prize is something you'll love. Because see, the pair that wins gets a prize of their choice. You can either choose something together, or choose something individually."

"A prize of our choice?" Carrot of the Mink Tribe looked visibly interested in this.

"As long as it's within our power of course." Sabo added. "I mean, we can't exactly make you rich you know. But a nice feast or something else like that…that's within our power, and if you destroy what's powering the barrier, we can do that for you."

"A feast…" Luffy drooled.

Samui looked longingly at Luffy. _Perhaps…this is going to be my chance to get Luffy alone on a date. I could finally get the answer I'm looking for._

And so, the pairs were quickly formed. Among the pairs were the 20 well-known warriors of the 2nd Fleet. Luffy and Uryū; Yūshirō and Hinata; Samui and Robin; Chopper and Anko (much to her sheer happiness); Carrot and Millianna; Sabo and Maki; Neliel and Laxus; Mashirō and Freed; Kensei and Bickslow; and Rufus and Akatsuchi.

While Kensei was breathing a huge sigh of relief for not being paired with his horrifyingly annoying lieutenant and praying for the safety and sanity of Freed, Luffy was already giving Uryū the business about how their partnership was going to work.

"Listen up, Booryū!" Luffy yelled. "Let's get something straight, there is no way we're going to lose this. We're going to win and I'm going to ask for a big feast all to myself. You got that?"

Uryū gave Luffy a deadpan expression. "You know, I have half a mind to throw this whole thing because you don't seem capable of getting my name right."

"It's okay Shuryū," Luffy said, "you don't have to do something like that. After all, I'm sure there's something you want to ask for if you win too, right? That means, you shouldn't be so eager to throw the whole thing."

Uryū could not believe what he was hearing. "Luffy…you're missing the point…you know what, never mind, you're right, there is something that I want to ask for if we manage to win this."

Uryū looked up to the sky eagerly. "I want the finest sewing supplies Dressrosa can muster. A country of the arts should be able to provide such a thing. And with the kind of supplies they'd give me…I could take my craftsmanship to the next level!"

"That's right!" Luffy cheered. "So you've gotta want to win this as much as I do, Louryū! So let's do our best together and destroy whatever the hell this thing is!"

Uryū sighed. "Well, I will say that you better get my name right before this whole thing is over. That being said, you do oddly bring up a good point, Luffy. You're actually better at persuasion than Ichigo is."

Sabo chuckled at the sight of seeing Luffy eagerly getting Uryū to follow in his insanity. Maki could not help but shake her head at the sight. "He's as odd as I heard. Is he really the kid who took down Zeref?"

"Yep," Sabo said without hesitation. "My little brother's awesome like that."

"Well…I guess I'll take your word for it, sir." Maki shrugged. "I mean, you've known him longer than I have, so I guess I'll just take your word for it."

"Good way to look at it." Sabo said before grinning. "You wouldn't happen to be kissing up to me by complimenting my little brother would you? What, are you trying to get me to go the extra mile and win you the right to choose something you want real bad?"

Maki blushed in embarrassment at this. "No, of course not, Commander." She immediately denied. "I'm not really the type to brownnose."

"Good to know, I feel like we've reached a point where nobody has to brownnose anyone. I mean, we aren't just allies. I like to think we're friends now."

Maki nodded in agreement. "Well said, sir." She said in agreement.

Sabo then clapped his hands together. "Okay, folks," he said, "it's time for us to make landfall. We'll be going ashore on the opposite side of where their ships are docked. We won't be confronting anyone until we have to."

"So, is everyone ready and eager to work with their partners?" Sabo inquired curiously.

"No." Freed said without hesitation while Mashirō showed enough enthusiasm for the both of them.

"Yes!" She cheered.

Sabo chuckled. He really felt blessed that these people were his allies. God only knows what his life would have been life had he remained a noble under his bastard of a father's control. "Then land ho, ladies and gentlemen. We're going ashore for a fight!"

And so, the small ship of a hundred soldiers went ashore to Raijin Island. Almost immediately, they all split up into their various pairs to launch their all-out assault. Luffy almost let out a loud cheer of excitement, but thankfully, he was tackled by Uryū before he could do so. "We're getting through this quickly and cleanly, Luffy." Uryū reminded him. "That completely goes out the window if you decide to rush out like an idiot."

"But running headlong into things is how we always do things." Luffy pointed out. "That's worked out well for us so far."

"Luffy, if that's worked out for you," Uryū tried his hand a completely different tactic to try and get Luffy to see things his way. "If rushing in head-on worked out for you, when theoretically, that should literally never work, just imagine what sticking to the plan and being stealthy will do for you?"

Luffy thought it over for a brief moment and gasped. "You know, you're right, Suryū," Luffy realized, "I won't just manage to succeed, I'll…I'll super succeed!"

"That's not how it normally works, but I'll take it…also it's Uryū." Uryū reminded him.

And so, the pairs sped into the interior of Raijin Island. Then, no sooner had that happened, Luffy was struck by lightning, much to the fright of Uryū. "Oh crap, Luffy!" He yelled in surprise.

Luffy then charged right through the lightning, making the normal calm Quincy face-fault in utter disbelief. "HUH?!"

Unfortunately, when you spend most of your time in the 4th Division, you're not always privy to certain things, like that Luffy is made of rubber and therefore one of the most obvious people to place on an island with perpetual thunderstorms.

"Come on Bob!" Luffy yelled at Uryū. "We've gotta get moving, otherwise we'll never win."

Uryū snapped out of his stupor to gape again at Luffy's inability to say his name. "Bob?!" He yelled. "That wasn't even close! How the hell did you even get to Bob?"

What the 50 pairs of soldiers did not know was that there was another reason why the Coalition did not have any watchmen. It was not just because they were oddly enough concerned for the safety of anyone who was out in the open. No…it was because they just did not need anyone out in the open on watch. They had other, just as effective ways.

A violet-eyed girl with oddly clear-colored hair, wearing Rakuen's military uniform giggled at the sight of the soldiers running through the woods on her multiple screens, which looked like mirrors.

The reason they looked like mirrors, of course, was because they were mirrors, courtesy of the girl's Art: Mirror.

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the smartest one of all?" The girl arrogantly inquired before deepening her voice. "You are, Kagami."

Kagami, Outlier of the Rakuen Army, chuckled as she gazed at her many mirrors. "Mirror Surveillance, the ultimate surveillance technique. As long as my mirrors exist, there is nothing that can escape my sight, and because of this weather, they'll never be able to notice them."

"Who's they?" Kisame Hoshigaki asked, entering the area.

Kagami chuckled. "It looks like we have some unwanted guests here on Raijin Island." She noted. "And in such small numbers, too."

"Well, that's not necessarily a bad thing, it makes it a fair fight." Kisame noted. "After all, our detachment is pretty small too, due to the weather concerns."

Kagami nodded before smiling flirtatiously. "You know, why don't you do me a big favor and get Itachi. I have a job for him that only a big, handsome man like him can do."

Kisame rolled his eyes. He did not like Kagami. She was way too flirty and handsy with Itachi. And since Itachi did not like it, he did not either. Then again, he would not like it either way. Because of his experience as a ninja, especially with kunoichi, Kisame had a rule he liked to live by, and it oddly enough kept with his animalistic mentality. Never trust a woman who cannot keep her hands to herself. As a shark-man, Kisame had his own instincts to seek out a suitable mate, and as a ninja, he did not trust women who got grabby because who knows what they would do…besides the fun stuff, I mean. Anyway, grabby women did not make suitable mates for Kisame, so he did not trust Kagami one bit.

"Look, Mirror Girl." Kisame said to her. "Itachi's meditating, and you do not disturb Itachi when he's meditating."

"Well that won't do at all." Kagami pouted. "Itachi's an indoctrinated soldier. That means, he has a duty to obey, right?"

"Yeah, a duty to obey Lord Konton." Kisame glared at Kagami. "Not a creepy girl like you."

"Now you're just being rude, Kisame." Kagami grinned. "And I really don't think this is time for us to be fighting between ourselves."

"Well, I suppose you've got a point there." Kisame admitted. "I don't like losing."

"Good boy, I knew you'd see things my way." Kagami said cheerfully, walking right past Kisame towards the meditating Itachi.

Kisame almost said something to try and stop Kagami only to fall silent. _You know what, I'm just going to let this play out._ He decided. _She needs to learn._

Kagami walked right over to Itachi and threw her arms over his back and around his chest. She started rubbing herself against his body. "Itachi-dear," she said in a very seductive tone, "could you please be a darling and go take care of some pests for me?"

Itachi remained silent for a brief moment before responding with a voice that was ice cold. "Unhand me, Kagami." He demanded. "Before I place you in a Genjutsu that will make you beg for death."

Kagami feigned hurt at that statement. "Now that's just rude," she said, "and here I was, trying to treat you like the dark, brooding man you are. You know, there are plenty of women who would want a guy with your looks and personality. Plenty of women who just think that tall, dark and brooding is incredibly sexy…women like me, by the way."

"I don't care what they like." Itachi said bluntly.

"Poo," Kagami stuck her tongue out, "you know, you serve my master. You could treat me like a queen too you know."

"Your logic is flawed." Itachi pointed out. "Because you serve my master too. We have the same master. In terms of station, we are equals. That means I am under no obligation to listen to any order you give me."

"If you think that's going to keep you from fighting, you're wrong, Itachi." Kagami dropped her affable persona and glared at the source of her obsession.

"I agree…but I will decide when I fight." Itachi said resolutely. "Now leave…I must return to my meditation."

Kagami pouted again but sighed. "Well, whatever," she said, "if you're going to be difficult, I guess I'll just have to treat you like what you really are: a challenge. And I've always _loved_ those."

Kagami then contacted her fellow Outliers and the Otherworlders who were stationed with her. "This is Kagami," she said, "it looks like we have some guests that are running around in a storm. We would be bad hosts if we just left them to run about in such a dangerous place. So let's be good hosts and show them a good time."

Quilge Opie chuckled darkly as he adjusted his glasses, having heard the message from Kagami. "Some guests…well, why don't we show them some hospitality then?" He suggested. "Hospitality so great, they're never going to want to leave. Not that we'll let them, of course."

Erigor the Reaper hefted his scythe as he took flight with the aid of his magic. "The reaper's cleansing is nigh. It's time to exterminate these flies once and for all."

A large man in a brand new silver-colored armor got to his feet, behind him were two other individuals. A massive man protected by an iron wall of sorts, and a lanky man with massive tonfas.

"Gin, Pearl," Don Krieg, the former commodore of the East Blue and now reinvented by technology from Rakuen, addressed his two compatriots, "it's time."

Pearl chuckled sadistically. "Of course, Don, we're ready."

Gin the Man-Demon remained silent. His eyes were glassy, almost like he was more of a doll rather than a human.

Meanwhile, the other four Outliers stationed on Raijin Island chuckled as they rose to their feet, visibly excited at the thought of taking down the Alliance soldiers they had heard so much about.

A laid-back, looking soldier with a buzz-cut of black hair, black sunglasses, and smoking what appeared to be a cuban cigar, laughed. "That Kagami has to be so flowery and poetic with her language. I can't help but wonder who she's trying to impress with all that fancy talk." Hamaki mused.

"Probably that Itachi Uchiha," A masked man with wisteria colored hair sat in a meditative pose and was strangely floating while doing so, "she's been ogling that man ever since we had been stationed here. It's shameful. She should be focused on her duties."

"Hey, I mean, she contacted us as soon as she noticed that something was wrong, Kaneshi. That's gotta count for something." A girl dressed in a 'punk-rock' version of the Rakuen uniform, in the form of a tight, red tube-top, a lot of belts wrapped around her body, black eye-liner and spiked purple hair.

The last of the bunch was a creepy, skinny man with a completely bald man who was practically albino, with his red eyes, a single fang protruding from his closed mouth, and very long fingernails. "Aika is correct," said Shokushi said in a low voice, pointing at them with a long, boney index finger, "instead of complaining about our allies lust towards the Uchiha, we should instead be focusing on our prey."

Kaneshi seemed to groan lowly at this, still bothered by the woman's advances on Itachi. It was highly unproductive.

"Well," Hamaki grinned after taking a long drag of his cigar, "let's not keep our guests waiting any longer, everyone. I want to say hi. Don't you?"

And with that, the Outliers scattered, ready to confront their foes. Kagami grinned wildly as she watched her comrades scatter across Raijin Island. "They've split up into pairs, for a total of 50 teams. That means, there's plenty of playtime to go around as long as you seek out our playmates."

"Happy hunting!"

Kagami looked over her shoulder and noticed that Itachi was still meditating. However, much to her surprise, Kisame had not moved an inch either. "Okay," she said, "I can understand Itachi not moving. But what in the world is your excuse, huh? I would think you'd be eager to get out and fight."

Kisame just glared at Kagami. Oh yeah, shark boy was not fond of her. She honestly had forgotten about that. "Look, Mirror Girl." He said. "Itachi's my partner, I go where he goes. And if Itachi's not interested in fighting just yet, then well…"

Kisame trailed off and planted his replica of the Samehada into the ground next to him. "…It's troublesome, because I really do love a good fight, but I'd be a crappy partner if I just went off and did my own thing without him, you know?"

Kagami could not believe what she was hearing. "You're surprisingly loyal, I didn't think sharks traveled in packs." She could not help but taunt.

"Well, I'm more than just a shark," Kisame pointed out, "but you? You are just a creeper with no sense of personal space."

"Why in God's name would I leave my partner anywhere alone with you?"

Kagami could not help but growl in annoyance. Now she remembered that she did not exactly like shark boy either. This guy was a total jerk who just kept getting in her way. She had honestly underestimated how loyal this guy was to Itachi. He was just a damn puppet. Why would he this loyal to him?

Kagami heaved an annoyed sigh and decided to return to her Surveillance Mirrors. "Fine, if I'm not allowed to have any fun, I guess I'll just…do my job."

"Anyway, listen up," Kagami contacted her comrades again, "they haven't gotten far into the island yet, so you have a ways to go. Just remember to avoid the lightning and you should reach them before they get too far. Try to force the fights out into the open so you're standing under trees during this damn thunderstorm."

Kagami then leaned back into a more relaxing position. "Okay," she said, "I guess the only thing left to do now is kick back, relax, and enjoy the show."

Kagami took a look at the screen. "I wonder who they'll find first? I guess it would just depend on who's moving the fastest and on what side."

"Hey, Shark Boy!" Kagami yelled at Kisame. "What do you say, do you want to make a few bets with me on who's going to be the first fight?"

"Hell no," Kisame said, "I'm not going anywhere near you."

"Spoilsport," Kagami stuck her tongue out in anger like an impetuous child. "Fine, be that way."

Kagami turned her attention back to the mirrors. "Hmm…he's pretty damn eager to get things started. Then again, he loves proving himself to his king."

Sabo and Maki continued running through the open plains of Raijin Island. While Maki put in the effort to avoid each and every lightning strike that got too close to her, Sabo just smiled and ran, letting the lightning pass through him with the help of his Logia powers. He knew Raijin Island was typically incredibly dangerous to anyone. And for that reason, he had honestly always wanted to visit it just to experience it. However, Koala would always say no. Then Hack would say no. Then Dragon, and well, you get the idea.

But, now that he was a Logia-user, he could get away with it. Eat your heart out, Koala! Eat your heart out Hack! Eat your heart out Dragon! Sabo was living the dream now, adventuring on a super dangerous island just like his little brother would.

Then, all that adventuring was cut short when a large cage made of Reishi sprouted up, encasing both Maki and Sabo inside. Maki gasped in surprise. "An ambush?" She exclaimed in surprise.

Sabo nodded and threw a powerful punch into the cage, frowning at it not budging an inch from his punch. "Sorry, Maki, looks like we're kinda up a creek without a paddle here." He admitted.

"Then what are we supposed to do, we're sitting ducks here!" Maki pointed out, trying to look up at the thunderous sky, only to see the top of the cage.

"What you are supposed to do," a smooth voice spoke up as the speaker revealed his presence, "is just stay right there and watch as we eliminate your allies one by one."

Sabo and Maki watched as Sternritter J, Quilge Opie, revealed himself, adjusting his glasses with a smug look on his face. "Well, well, well, well, well," Quilge said, "gazing at Sabo. Commander Sabo of the Revolutionary Army, we meet again."

Sabo folded his arms with a completely serious expression on his face. "Yes, we do indeed meet again…" He trailed off.

Sabo's face then contorted into a look of pure confusion. "…You." He finished, clearly unable to remember who Quilge was.

Quilge's mouth dropped open. His sunglasses drooped in a sad manner. "Wait," he said, "do you not know who I am?"

"…Should I?" Sabo asked curiously. "Maki, should I know who this guy is?"

"How the hell should I know?" Maki asked in disbelief, wondering why Sabo was actually able to have a calm conversation with his enemy.

"I am Quilge Opie of the Wandenreich!" Quilge introduced himself.

Sabo looked at Quilge in confusion. "Sternritter J, the Jail?" Quilge offered.

"Leader of the Jagdarmee?" Quilge offered another way to recognize him.

Still super confused on Sabo's part. "I was a part of the Kunugi Unit that faced off against your Division back in the Wizard World?" Quilge decided to make things a bit more specific.

Sabo still did not recognize him. At this point, Quilge could not help but wonder if he was teasing him. Quilge sighed, deciding he had no choice but to offer one more way to get Sabo to recognize him. "I was the man Makarov Dreyar punched all the way into Kunugi Town."

Sabo's eyes widened as his lips curled into a big goofy smile. "Oh yeah, I remember you now!" He yelled gleefully. "I don't think I saw that, but damn was that funny to just _hear_ about!"

"You shut up!" Quilge yelled. "That was then and this is now. I now literally have you trapped inside of my jail and you're never going to leave!"

Quilge's lips curled into a cruel sneer. "And you're going to listen through the sounds of thunder and lightning as my comrades eliminate yours with the greatest of ease!"

Sabo and Maki both gazed at Quilge, disturbed by his twisted declaration…

Meanwhile, Millianna and Carrot sped past bolts of lightning. As they did so, Carrot decided to make conversation with her partner. "So…umm…are you sure you're not a long-lost Mink from the Mink Tribe?" She asked. "You have no memories of Zou Island whatsoever?"

"I'm positive, Carrot," Millianna told her, "I was born and raised in the Wizard World, where I was kidnapped and made a slave in the Tower of Heaven. Then, I was set free, and eventually became a part of Mermaid Heel. That is my life in a nutshell."

"…Are you sure?" Carrot asked again.

"I'm positive." Millianna nodded, a bit annoyed by Carrot's insistence that she was secretly a Mink like Carrot was.

"…100%?" Carrot tried one more time.

" _110%,_ " Millianna replied, trying to sound as final as possible in her statement.

"…Okay." Carrot sounded defeated, which actually made Millianna feel a bit more guilty then she should.

"So, why do you look so much like a cat Mink then?" Carrot asked curiously.

"Because I love kitties." Millianna replied

Then, before the two could move any further, a giant, thick black fog suddenly appeared. "What is that?" Millianna wondered.

Carrot's eyes widened as her nostrils went haywire from the scent of the black fog. "What in the world…smoke? Did someone set the island on fire?"

The smoke then sped towards Carrot and Millianna, enveloping them both in the thick, black fog instantly. "This smoke is artificial!" Millianna realized. "It shouldn't be moving this fast!"

"Hey, Carrot!" Millianna yelled to her partner. "Can you get the scent of who's controlling this smoke?"

"I can't!" Carrot admitted. "The smoke is interfering!"

Millianna and Carrot's eyes widened in unison. _I'm already experiencing a shortness of breath. The smoke is messing with my lungs!_ They both realized in unison.

"But listen, Millianna!" Carrot shouted, now wanting to take out the perpetrator as quickly as possible. "If someone is manipulating a power like this, they're typically in the middle of the area. That means, we need to just keep moving forward until we're around the dead center."

Meanwhile, in the dead center, where there was no smoke whatsoever, lest the user be choked out, Hamaki chuckled as he drew two pistols. They were Reiki Pistols. In the Watcher World, any weapon could be enhanced with the power of Reiki. It was why there were weapons created in the Bronze Age and weapons like pistols that were used in this world. Because Reiki was the great equalizer.

Hamaki smirked. "Two," he said, "I've got two people inside of my Smoke Fog."

"The only question now is, will they try to attack me, or move past this smokey miasma of mine? Either way, they're dead. They'll run out of air long before they get out of the fog. And if they come near me…well, I'll just blow their brains out."

"Lord Konton needs more people like me, because I can kill enemies without raw power. Because no matter how much raw power anyone has…they're helpless when they're out of air." Hamaki said sadistically. "My power makes every warrior equal before they die."

Hamaki continued stepping forward, carrying his fog of smoke with him. He then sensed the presence of someone charging towards him. "Well now, it looks like they chose the former." Hamaki said as Carrot leapt out of the smoke.

Carrot glared at Hamaki. _I may not be able to track you by scent, but I can track you by the sound of your footprints. Never underestimate the ears of a Mink!_

"Well, hello there, little rabbit." Hamaki grinned. He then took aim at Carrot's forehead. "Unfortunately for you, you've been caught in the farmer's trap!"

Carrot's eyes widened. _He pulled a gun? I didn't hear him load it!_

"Millianna!" Carrot yelled to her partner.

Hamaki raised an eyebrow. _A sneak attack?_ He wondered to himself. _No matter, I'll kill rabbit girl quickly!_

Carrot was then yanked back into the smokey fog, much to Hamaki's surprise. _Well, that was unexpected. Oh well, if they're going to fight me, they won't live long enough to win._

Meanwhile, Samui and Robin found themselves staring down the punk-rock-like girl known as Aika. "What's shaking, girls?" Aika greeted them with a jovial tone but violent look on her face. The kind of look that said: 'prepare to get your asses sliced and diced.'

"That's a weird version of the Rakuen uniform, but I'd definitely recognize it." Samui narrowed her eyes. "She's a Watcher, like Lord Chitsujo is."

"Not like Lord Chitsujo," Robin glared at Aika, not liking this girl already, "these Rakuen soldiers are nothing like him!"

Robin's respect for the man had increased immensely since the incident with the Tax Collectors back in the Wizard World. The man was just kind and reasonable. In fact, Chitsujo had been the third authority figure she genuinely respected along with Dragon and Luffy.

"That wuss?" Aika asked. "Please, no matter how strong that guy is, there's no point in having power if you're not going to use it. If you've got it, flaunt it. That's what it means to be strong."

"Dos Fleur," Robin narrowed her eyes as two hands appeared on Aika's shoulder, "I won't have you insult him like that. He's a good man, and you will treat him with respect."

"Iron Collar," Aika said, creating a collar of iron around her neck that kept Robin from choking her.

Robin's eyes widened. "She can generate iron?" She was surprised at the sight, retracting her generated hands from Aika's shoulders.

"Sort of, I create constructs made of iron." Aika replied. "If you want to see the real master of steel in Rakuen, you're going to want to last a bit longer. Not that that matters, you're not going to last past this island."

Samui leapt at Aika. "Samui!" Robin yelled. "Don't charge her until we know what she can do!"

"I have business with whatever's powering the barrier at sea! Cloud Style: Crescent Moon Slice!" Samui yelled, swinging her blade forward at Aika.

"Iron Claw!" Aika created two claw-like gauntlets and blocked Samui's blade.

Samui gasped at how easily Aika had blocked her attack. "Coming at me full-force already, huh? I like you." Aika admitted, licking her lips. "But unfortunately, you don't have the force to beat _my_ force, Blondie."

Samui narrowed her eyes as Aika forced her back. "There is something I must achieve by destroying what's powering the barrier! I will get to it first!"

Robin looked at Samui in surprise before she smiled. _Ah, I see, so that's what it's all about. How adorable, she's really into my captain. I can understand why. If I were a decade younger, I'd honestly consider it myself. Then again, it'd probably still feel like I'm dating a brother, like with literally everyone else in the crew._

Robin's eyes then widened in slight surprise. _Wait…isn't she 29? That's…closer to my age than Luffy's…_

And just like that, Robin had been distracted from the fight…

Rufus Lore and Akatsuchi both gasped as several long, shining blades came out into the open, forcing them both to dodge with relative ease. At that moment, the creepy man known as Shokushi came swaying out into the open His red eyes wide with insanity as his arms swung about. The blades retracted back to his fingers, revealing that the blades that had attacked them were his fingernails.

Akatsuchi shook with fear. He was already terrified of the sight of Shokushi. "Who is he?" He asked in fright. "He looks like a Boogeyman."

Shokushi giggled lowly, at a volume that was almost a whisper. "Pretty, pretty," he said to himself, "a canvas…a canvas to paint red…a canvas to cut…to rip…"

"…I've got a lot of memories of guys like this." Rufus admitted. "They are rarely mentally stable."

"Oh, no freaking duh!" Akatsuchi yelled in fright.

"Enemies of the kingdom of canvases of carnage…beautiful carnage…lovely, lovely carnage." Shokushi whispered with twisted glee.

Shokushi's thin body went completely straight as he raised his boney arms into the air. "DIE!" He shrieked as his fingernails extended to impale Rufus and Akatsuchi.

Rufus's eyes widened. "Memory Make: Iron Ice Wall!" He yelled, creating a wall of ice and iron.

"Earth Style: Mud Wall Jutsu!" Akatsuchi added, crafting his own wall of earth to block Shokushi's attack as well.

Shokushi let out a violent shriek as he retracted his fingernails. "My canvases!" He shrieked. "Don't struggle! Don't struggle! Don't struggle! I must cut you! Impale! DICE TO RIBBONS! I must see that lovely, lovely blood red!"

Shokushi aimed his left hand at the ground and extended his fingernails more, propelling himself into the air. "DIE!" He shrieked now raising his right arm into the air and extending his fingernails as well.

"Rufus!" Akatsuchi quickly got in front of his partner. "Earth Style: Stone Fist Jutsu!"

Shokushi shrieked in anger again as Akatsuchi blocked his attack again. Rufus narrowed his eyes in determination. _He's wide open now, I'll take him down myself!_ He declared inwardly.

"Memory Make: Night of Falling Stars!" Rufus yelled, firing bolts of lightning shaped like shooting stars towards Shokushi.

Shokushi let out yet another hellish shriek as his fingernails buried in the ground extended further, avoiding Rufus's Night of Falling Stars. He looked almost demonic as lightning flashed around and behind him thanks to his albino eyes. He then retracted his fingernails and landed gracefully on the ground.

Rufus narrowed his eyes. _Such a simple Art, and he wields it so well._ Rufus noted. _And because of his range, Akatsuchi is only good for defense. Damn, this is clearly not this guy's first fight. He knows what he's doing._

Shokushi shrieked yet again, extending his fingernails and then swung them to the side like several blades. Rufus and Akatsuchi quickly realized he was going to strike them from the side this time.

Rufus acrobatically leapt over the nails while Akatsuchi moved underground with Earth Style. "Memory Make!" Rufus yelled. "Atomic Fire!"

Rufus combined the powers of lightning and fire magic to create what was effectively a laser beam that sped towards Shokushi. Shokushi showed his own flexibility and leaned underneath the Atomic Fire before retracting his fingernails and then firing them outwards again with incredible speed.

Rufus's eyes widened. He was wide open! The nails ran him through before he could put up any defenses…

Meanwhile, Kensei Muguruma and Bickslow both froze in place as they found themselves standing face to face with a man in a mask meditating in the air. Kaneshi opened his eyes behind his mask and took in the sight of his foes.

"Greetings," Kaneshi said respectfully, "I am Kaneshi, a soldier in the Rakuen Army. I apologize if I sound a bit too presumptuous, but in the name of my king and kingdom, I will be taking your lives now."

"Okay, this guy is a weirdo." Bickslow said bluntly.

"Wow," Kensei deadpanned, "say what's on your mind, why don't you."

"So, do you want to take him, or should I?" Bickslow asked. "I mean, you're not really the type to let other people take your fights, right?"

"You can take the first shot." Kensei offered.

"Gladly," Bickslow grinned as he stepped forward, facing the masked man while his babies flew up around him, "okay you floating masked freak, you're about to get a full-course serving of pain from my babies!"

"Full-course!" The babies cheered. "Serving of pain!"

"Such spirit," Kaneshi mused, "I will try not to destroy your pride too badly in this fight."

Bickslow narrowed his eyes. _This guy's confidence is a bit unsettling, but I can take him!_

Then, before Bickslow could make the first strike, large rocks suddenly rose up around Kaneshi. A green light shone around the rocks as they twirled around his floating body like a tornado.

"What the hell?" Bickslow's mouth dropped open in slight surprise.

"Kinetic Cyclone," Kaneshi said calmly as the rocks sped straight through the mouths of Bickslow's babies and then out the backs of their heads. Bickslow's eyes widened in disbelief as his babies collapsed to the ground.

Kensei's eyes widened. "He has psychic powers!" He realized.

"Again, I apologize if I seem presumptuous, but while I am a mere foot soldier, a grunt, I have gained enough power and prestige to stand out among my fellow grunts." Kaneshi pointed out. "If you thought this fight was going to be easy, I'm afraid you were very incorrect."

A green aura surrounded the Outlier. "He's going to attack again!" Kensei exclaimed.

More rocks rose up from the ground in front of Kaneshi. "Oh crap baskets…" Bickslow groaned in fear.

"Psychic Meteor Shower!" Kaneshi yelled, launching the rocks towards Kensei and Bickslow at incredible speeds like a miniature meteor shower.

Kensei acted at this point. "You had your chance, Bickslow, you blew it." He said to him. "Blast away, Tachikaze!"

Kensei's Zanpakutō transformed into the small dagger that was his Shikai, Tachikaze. "How's this! Psychic vs. wind!" Kensei yelled, swinging Tachikaze and sending blades of wind that tore right through the rocks.

Kaneshi floated above the wind blades, avoiding them. "Psychic vs. wind you say?" Kaneshi seemed intrigued by the thought. "Very interesting, yes, I'm definitely intrigued by this. However, I will make this as clear as possible. I will not be defeated."

Kensei and Bickslow watched as Kaneshi floated back to his original position. "Perhaps I sound presumptuous once again…but you were not chosen, not like me. I was chosen to be one of the pioneers of the new world as a citizen of Rakuen. And for that reason, defeat is impossible."

Kensei just grinned. "Well, aren't you cocky as hell?" He mused. "Don't you know that we've taken out guys like you before? Outliers have fallen to us before. You're nothing special."

Kaneshi remained calm in the face of that defiant taunt as more and more rocks were uprooted from the ground with his psychic powers. "It is my status as a soldier of Rakuen that makes me special. We will lead this world into the light…away from barbarians like you who seek to disrupt our peace."

Kensei and Bickslow both looked at Kaneshi in confusion. Peace? What did he mean by that?

"Now then, let us continue!" Kaneshi declared.

While the Outliers finished confronting their foes (with the exception of Kagami, who was still sitting calmly in her own little area, watching the events unfold with a cruel smile on her face), Tony Tony Chopper and Anko Mitarashi watched as a reaper-like man floated down from winds dancing around him. "Welcome to my parlor, said the spider to the weak little flies." Said Erigor the Reaper.

Chopper was immediately frightened by the sight of what appeared to be the grim reaper. "It's the grim reaper!" Chopper squealed in fear. "Oh God! My time has come! I'll be meeting you soon, Dr. Hiruluk!"

Anko would have normally been a bit irritated by Chopper's freak-out. However, Chopper was cute, so instead, he was bringing out Anko's protective side. "Don't worry Chopper!" She yelled, overprotective of him and very overdramatic. "I won't let the grim reaper take you! If he wants you, he's going to have to get past me!"

Erigor laughed. "Why should I have to choose one or the other? I want to take you both. Your lives are mine!"

Meanwhile, Yūshirō Shihōin was stopped by Hinata Hyūga. "What is it, Ms. Hinata?" He asked, respectful of the girl even though as a Soul Reaper (not officially, mind you, but he had been trained by his big sister, Yoruichi), he was actually older than her.

"Three enemies, just a head of us, and it looks like they already know we're here." Hinata noted, looking out ahead with a determined look on her face.

At that moment, Don Krieg stepped into view, flanked by his two top subordinates. "Well would you look at that, only two of you, huh?" Krieg taunted.

Hinata was immediately on guard. _The men themselves aren't particularly intimidating,_ she noted, _they're perfectly average fighters. However, that armor of theirs is something. I've never seen armor like that before. Was it a design from Rakuen?_

"Too bad," Krieg said with a cocky smirk on his face, "you're outnumbered and outgunned."

"Too bad for you indeed, we may not be the invincible Krieg Pirates we once were." 'Iron Wall' Pearl admitted. "But as men we do have our pride. And that means, we're not just going to let you past us."

The 'Man Demon' Gin simply remained silent. Hinata's gaze was then drawn to him. _What is with that one?_ She wondered. _There's something very different about him._

Hinata's Byakugan then went haywire as she noticed something particularly twisted about Gin's body. _He has no heartbeat…this man is dead!_ She realized. _So then…what is wrong? Why is he still here?_

 _Even those who have been resurrected for the war effort have had their heartbeats returned to them._ Hinata remembered. _Neji's heart beats today, after all. So what is different about this man?_

Hinata then noticed something even odder. There was a sort of energy near Gin's body, attached to him like puppet strings. Hinata gasped, recognizing the energy. _It's the same as that demon that fought Luffy in Kunugi._ She remembered.

"Hey, you!" Hinata yelled at Gin. "Why do you remind me of an Etherious?"

Gin remained silent, refusing to answer Hinata's question. Krieg just laughed. "That is because Gin's been dead for the last two years." He revealed. "When Lord Konton offered to bring his strength back for the war, I said: 'hell no, that bastard doesn't deserve the gift of life after disobeying me.'"

"So instead, we decided to do something to Gin to set an example." Krieg revealed. "See, there's this Etherious that has mastered Necromancy named Keyes, he's a member of the Nine Demon Gates. And for some reason Lord Konton insisted on having Gin, considering the 'need all the help you can get' kind of attitude. So, we came up with a compromise. We had Gin brought back, on the condition he was nothing more than a puppet under Keyes' command. He only exists as long as Keyes exists."

"That's…that's just cruel!" Hinata exclaimed.

"Cruel, but effective," Krieg responded, "in order to properly demonstrate the power you have over someone, you need to make them feel as helpless as possible."

"Your way of thinking is sick!" Yūshirō yelled with a ferocity that surprised Hinata. "The way to show the power you have over others is to never have to use it, to show the difference in your power but to exercise the restraint of a saint to gain the respect of others!"

Krieg glared at both Yūshirō and Hinata. "Like I'm interested in the opinions of two snot-nosed kids who know nothing about the world." He brushed them off before turning his attention to Pearl. "Burn them to a crisp, Pearl." He told the big man.

"Understood, Don!" Pearl nodded. "Time to burn! Fire Pearls Special Treat!"

Hinata and Yūshirō were unable to react in time as fire sprung out in front of them, courtesy of several fiery pearls tossed at them by the big man known as Pearl. Krieg chuckled cruelly, aiming his wrist at Hinata and Yūshirō. "This new armor is amazing." He mused, revealing what appeared to be a gatling gun inside of his wrist armor. "I feel…REBORN!"

With that, Krieg began peppering the ground with mini-gun bullets, forcing Hinata and Yūshirō to dodge. The new armor—that both Krieg and Pearl now used—had been a gift from Sagi who had a very simple message for the both of them: _"Consider this a gift for you to reclaim your glory. It's a far more enhanced version of your old armor. After all, today, that kind of power is not going to cut it against the enemies you'll have to fight today."_

 _With weapons like these at my disposal,_ Krieg thought with glee, _after I remove these pests, I can reform the Krieg Pirates into an even stronger force. We won't just conquer the East Blue. But we'll conquer the West, North and South Blues too! And after that, the first half of the Grand Line, then the New World, and then the mighty Don will make it to Raftel, take the One Piece for himself and become King of the Pirates._

 _This will be my era, not Blackbeard's!_ Krieg declared. _I am the only one with the right to be King of the Pirates…because I am the only one who's smart enough to gather the might needed to achieve such a goal!_

"Pearl, Gin, get them." Krieg ordered. "Show them the force of your new might."

"Understood, Don." Pearl nodded obediently with a gleeful smile.

Gin just nodded, his eyes still glassy and dead like a doll's eyes. Pearl immediately leapt forward a tremendous distance and landed in front of Hinata. "Fire Pearl Surprise!" Pearl yelled, throwing a right punch at the girl.

Hinata quickly leapt away. _Where's the other one?_ She wondered.

Hinata then heard Yūshirō shriek in surprise and looked over her shoulder to see Yūshirō frantically avoiding swings from Gin's large tonfas. She watched as one tonfa made contact with the ground, creating a massive crater. Gin's resurrection into one of Keyes' puppets, needless to say, had made him much stronger.

Krieg just chuckled and took a seat, content with watching the carnage. "I am Don," he reminded himself, "and I am the only person in existence who is worthy of the name: 'Don.'"

"The mightiest pirate on the East Blue, and eventually the world. That is the only destiny for me. And what's more, that is the only destiny I shall except, because I never lose, I simply experience setbacks."

And yes, that is what Krieg is calling his failure at the Baratie, a simple setback. Not a complete and utter devastating defeat and humiliation at the hands of multiple different people. And it was, by the way; it was a complete defeat that ruined the name of the Krieg Pirates forever.

Then again, perhaps Krieg knew that and that was why he was trying to revive the name of the Krieg Pirates? Either way, it did not matter. The only thing that mattered was that Hinata and Yūshirō were in his crosshairs.

Meanwhile, Kagami laughed with utter glee as she watched the soldiers of the 2nd Fleet be stopped dead in their tracks by her comrades. "What a bunch of losers," she taunted the soldiers from the safety, "did they really think that just because they beat Zeref that they could just blow past every other challenge in the universe?"

Kisame rolled his eyes. He had fought against quite a few ninjas in the Alliance. He knew they were not the arrogant type. Kisame was a violent, bloodthirsty warrior, who loved to kill and maim his opponents but he would never assume the worst of a fellow warrior. Might Guy was the only exception, because Guy never once remembered who he was. He knew that the Alliance was not arrogant. Hell, they won in the Wizard World because they never once became complacent in their victories. Kisame could tell that much. The fact that Kagami, a woman who's job seemed to be gathering information and understanding their opponents, could not tell that, was very disturbing.

"Hey, Itachi," Kisame whispered to his partner, "I guess I owe you an apology, huh? You got stationed here because we were partners back in the Akatsuki."

"Kisame, I've lived my life dealing with fools, this is no different." Itachi reminded him while meditating. "Whether it's Homura and Koharu, Danzō, Orochimaru, or Kagami, I seem cursed to deal with fools, no matter where I am."

Kisame had to laugh at that. "You know, I actually prefer this version of you." He admitted. "This version has a sense of humor."

Then, the duo heard Kagami scream in fear. "What's up, Mirror Girl?" Kisame asked curiously.

"What the hell happened?" Kagami demanded, ignoring Kisame's query. "I took my eyes off them for one minute, and then when I looked again, everyone looked like they got ran over by trains!"

Kisame rolled his eyes. _Sheesh, that's what you get for trying to watch that much stuff at once and call it work, dumb ass._

Itachi ignored Kagami's frightened ranting and addressed Kisame once more. "So careless," he mused, "this is what I mean when I say I'm cursed to deal with fools, no matter where I go, Kisame."

Kisame shook his head, chuckling. "Who are you, and what have you done with the Itachi Uchiha I knew?"

"Where are they, where are they, where are they?" Kagami frantically asked, trying to train her mirrors on wherever the people she had lost were.

Then, much to her confusion, Kagami heard the sound of screaming in the distance. "Gah, now what?" She asked, now extremely irritated with how things were going now. Things either went a hundred percent perfect, or terrible, for Kagami.

Kisame raised an eyebrow, hearing the sound of that screaming as well. "The hell?" He muttered to himself while Itachi continued to meditate in peace.

Then, Kisame saw something in the distance. His eyes almost bulged out in shock at what he saw. It was Monkey D. Luffy flying towards him with Uryū Ishida in his hands. Uryū was the one letting out the horrified screams due to Luffy deciding to cut out the middle man and travel across the island with a powerful Gum Gum Rocket.

"What?" Kisame said flatly.

Luffy and Uryū then landed. Well, to be more specific, Luffy landed. Uryū was limp as a noodle due to seeing his life flash before his eyes multiple times. "That was awesome!" Luffy cheered.

Kisame then got over his surprise and took note of Luffy's attire. He immediately recognized the boy. _So that's Straw Hat Luffy,_ he thought to himself, _the brat who took down Zeref. He's definitely crazy enough to punch out someone like the Black Wizard, I'll give him that._

"Hey!" Kagami yelled. "Get rid of them! You're the muscle, do muscle-like things!"

Kisame rolled his eyes. "Annoying bitch," he muttered.

Kisame hefted his blade up from the ground. "That was quite the stunt you pulled their, Straw Hat. We may be enemies, but I definitely owe you a compliment on how reckless and badass that was."

Luffy gave Kisame a big friendly smile. "Thanks," he said before looking at Kisame in slight surprise, "hey, by any chance, you wouldn't happen to be a Fishman would you?"

"Nope, I get the resemblance, but I am no Fishman. This is just a family thing, honestly." Kisame admitted.

"Why are you just talking to him?" Kagami yelled. "Get rid of him!"

"I'm working on it," Kisame shot back, "just because I'm supposed to kill someone doesn't mean I can't make conversation."

Kisame then turned his attention back to Luffy. "So, Straw Hat," he said, "since that harpy is not going to shut up until I kill you and your partner, I'm just going to kill you now."

"Yeah, I get it. Just business and all that," Luffy said, stretching his legs out and preparing to fight Kisame, "hate to break it to you though, but I'm going to kick your ass, Shark."

Kisame grinned. "All business, I love it." He said. "Then let's get started, shall we!"

 _I can't force a close-up fight with him._ Kisame noted to himself. _Straw Hat's too damn good with that Devil Fruit of his. But, I've got hungry friends just waiting to sink their teeth into him!_

Kisame quickly sped through multiple Hand Signs. "Tell me something, Straw Hat," Kisame said to him, "how do pirates like you handle sharks?"

"Well, we typically make shark fin soup." Luffy responded with a shrug.

Kisame frowned at his threat completely going over his head. "You know what, never mind," he said, "just get ripped to shreds, boy. Water Style: Frenzy Bomb Jutsu!"

At that moment, moisture in the air formed into multiple life sized sharks made of water. "My little friends are hungry, Straw Hat." Kisame taunted. "And while I don't think rubber tastes good, they'll still find you quite a satisfying meal!"

Kisame threw his palm forward, sending the frenzy of sharks towards Luffy. Luffy narrowed his eyes, grabbed Uryū, scooped him up and began spinning around the sharks with the help of Observation Haki.

Kisame's eyes widened in surprise as he watched Luffy weave in and out of his frenzy of sharks with tremendous ease. _Well…that's a thing._ He thought to himself.

Luffy then got past the last shark with a now visibly motion-sick Uryū in tow and turned his attention back to Kisame. "My turn." He said, stretching his arm back.

"Gum Gum Red Hawk!" Luffy yelled, throwing a fiery fist forward that slammed straight into Kisame's stomach.

Kisame's mouth dropped open in pain as he was pushed backwards by Luffy's punch. "Son of a bitch!" He cursed.

A single eye opened, courtesy of Itachi Uchiha, as he suddenly gained a greater interest in this fight. "What are you doing?" Kagami shrieked. "Don't let him win!"

"Oh will you just shut up!" Kisame yelled back, clutching his stomach. "If you don't want him to win so badly, then you help me!"

"I'm the brains, you're the muscle!" Kagami reminded him.

"You're no brain, you're a bitch, you know that!" Kisame yelled, seriously done with Kagami's crap now.

"Calm down, Kisame." Itachi got up from his meditation. "Allow me to help."

Kisame sighed. "Sorry, Itachi," he said, "I'm not too proud of what you just witnessed."

"It's fine, you simply underestimated Luffy's power." Itachi said. "As strong as you are, your greatest strengths are nullified when you face people who focus almost exclusively on hand to hand combat, like Guy."

Kisame growled at the mention of his archenemy. Uryū then got to his feet. "Two against one isn't fair." He said. "How about two on two…"

Uryū trailed off as he suddenly turned green, still sick from the motion sickness. Kisame and Itachi watched with sympathy as Uryū vomited. "Kisame," Itachi spoke up, "you take the Quincy. I'll handle Luffy myself."

"You sure? I'd much rather pay the brat back for that punch to the gut." Kisame said.

"You are a better opponent for the Quincy." Itachi reminded him. "And I am a better opponent for Luffy. It's that simple. And Kisame, don't torment him. End the fight as quickly as possible."

Kisame grinned. "Well, thanks for allowing me to cut loose, Itachi." He said before addressing Uryū. "Looks like it's just you and me, Four Eyes."

Uryū glared at Kisame. Itachi then gave Luffy a focused stare. "Greetings, Monkey D. Luffy, I am Itachi Uchiha." He introduced himself. "Would you like to take this fight elsewhere? It would be distracting if we both had to listen to Kagami complain."

Luffy nodded. "Let's not go too far away." He said. "I need to run all the way back here if Uryū gets in trouble."

Uryū turned to Luffy in shock. At that moment, Luffy had remembered his name. Itachi nodded in understanding. "I will do everything I can to prevent that." He admitted. "But, I shall grant your wish."

With that, both Itachi and Luffy vanished. Uryū turned his attention back to Kisame. "Luffy may think he might need to help me," Uryū steeled himself to fight the Monster of the Hidden Mist, "but I'm going to stand on my own feet so that he doesn't have to. He's done enough, so I'm going to do my part!"

Kisame grinned. "I love that look on your face," he admitted, "that's the look of a man who's made up his mind and is ready to do whatever it took to complete his job. As a Shinobi, I can respect that."

"State your name, Four Eyes."

"I am Uryū Ishida a Quincy." Uryū introduced himself.

Kisame nodded with respect. "I'll remember it," he vowed, "I'm Kisame Hoshigaki, the Tailless Tailed Beast; the Monster of the Hidden Mist; you make sure to remember my name as well."

Uryū nodded and quickly fired an arrow at Kisame. Kisame grinned and swung his Shark Skin out in front of him. Uryū watched in shock as his arrow was absorbed by the Shark Skin. Kisame chuckled. "Now I see why Itachi wanted me to fight you." He mused. "He really is a magnificently smart son of a bitch."

"I guess I should've mentioned," Kisame addressed the stunned Uryū, "my Shark Skin doesn't cut, it shaves _everything_. And that includes various kinds of energy like your Spirit Energy-based weapons."

"And I'm no expert on the Quincy, but don't you guys exclusively use weapons made of Spirit Energy?" Kisame taunted. "I'm like your worst nightmare."

Meanwhile, back with Quilge, the Sternritter chuckled arrogantly as he heard the sounds of battle raging around him. "Music to my ears, wouldn't you agree, Commander Sabo?" He taunted the caged commander and Maki.

"I kinda prefer a little smooth jazz, but whatever floats your boat, bro." Sabo responded.

Quilge glared at Sabo for his defiant nature. "I'm going to enjoy watching that confidence crumble as the men you led here die one by one." Quilge threatened. "It's going to be exquisite!"

"Keep telling yourself that, dude." Sabo shrugged. "As for me, I'm not particularly worried."

"And why is that?" Quilge demanded.

Sabo had to laugh at that. "Come on, Quilge, isn't it obvious?" He asked. "Did you really think we spent the last several months before we started sailing just sitting on our asses and recovering from our previous fights?"

"No, we've been working those asses off to get even stronger so that this campaign is a bit less taxing than the last." Sabo revealed. "And you guys are about to be the first unlucky saps to experience…the results of our training!"

At that moment, every single Alliance soldier on Raijin Island, gained a new determination. After all the effort they had put in, they were not going to let these jokes slow them down.

It was time to counterattack…


	10. Chapter 10: Results of Training

**Chapter 10: Results of Training**

Quilge Opie gave Sabo a blank expression, trying to comprehend what Sabo had just said. It was absolutely baffling. How could a man in Sabo's position have such confidence? Quilge looked at Maki, trying to figure out if Maki did not share Sabo's confidence. It would be a tell that Quilge would use to find out if Sabo was full of it or not.

 _There's no way this weakling shares his foolhardy confidence._ Quilge thought to himself. _I'll use her to break Sabo's confidence by revealing a very simple truth: He doesn't really believe that, and is trying to keep a brave face._

However, much to Quilge's shock, Maki was looking just as confident as Sabo. In fact, her face was contorted in that same brave, self-assured face Sabo had. It was like looking at a mirror image of Sabo's face.

 _Impossible,_ Quilge thought, _she feels the same way?_

"LIES!" Quilge yelled. "Lies! Lies! Lies! Lies! Lies! There is no way you think that! There is no way it's actually possible!"

"Why is it impossible, Quilge?" Sabo asked curiously. "After all, we've beaten you all plenty of times. So why is it impossible for us to have improved so much, you're just not a threat to us anymore?"

Quilge glared at Sabo. "You shut up, you shut up _right now!_ " He demanded. "I will not be spoken to like this!"

"Okay, if that's the case, enough talking." Sabo grinned. "Time for some action. Wouldn't you agree, Maki?"

Maki nodded. "I couldn't agree more, Commander Sabo." She said. "Hidden Clothe Jutsu!"

With that, Maki unravelled a tremendous amount of large clothe that spun around her and Sabo, concealing them both from Quilge's sight. Quilge quickly created his Heilig Bogen. "You will stop this, do you understand me?" Quilge yelled angrily. "Shooting you with my arrows now will be like shooting fish in a barrel!"

Quilge was bluffing. Even he could not penetrate his own cages, even from the outside. However, he was very nervous now. He did not want Sabo and Maki to just do whatever the hell they wanted. He had to stop them, no matter what. Even if it meant bluffing like a damn coward, he would make them bend to _his_ will.

"Do you hear me?" Quilge repeated. "Cease this, before I kill you both!"

The cloth then fell away, much to the surprise of Quilge, who found himself wondering if his bluff actually worked. However, then he saw Sabo standing next to a log where Maki had been. Quilge's eyes widened. He had fallen for that damn trick again? Again?!

Sabo smirked. "What's up, Quilge, you don't seem as confident as you did before?Perhaps you realize you just let your guard down?"

"And because of that," came Maki's voice from behind Quilge, "you know you're about to have a real bad time against us."

Quilge spun around and aimed his Heilig Bogen straight at Maki's chest. "Die!" He yelled, letting a Heilig Pfeil fly towards her.

Then, much to Quilge's disbelief, Maki switched places with Sabo via a Substitution Jutsu. "Damn it!" Quilge cursed. "Not again!"

Sabo grinned cockily at Quilge at the sight of his breakdown. "You know, you'd think losing once would humble you a little. And you've lost twice now. I mean really, you lost to Soul Society, and then you lost in Kunugi. You've got no reason to be so cocky, and yet you think catching us in a stupid cage is enough to stop us."

"Come on, Quilge, give us a bit more credit here." Sabo continued. "After everything we've survived, don't you think it's time to give us a little bit of respect."

Quilge growled. "I don't have to give you anything!" He claimed. "You should've just stayed in that damn jail! It's where sinners like you belong!"

Sabo raised an eyebrow at Quilge's behavior. Beneath that man's confident, authoritative attitude, he was a man with an extremely weak constitution and no stability whatsoever. It was actually no wonder why Yhwach had stuck Quilge with the job of being Captain of the Jagdarmee. Quilge could be trusted to hunt and trap foes of the Wandenreich, but he had far too weak a constitution to be with the Sternritter full time, even though he had a Schrift like the others.

"Why can't you all just roll over and die?" Quilge wondered angrily. "Why can't you all just accept your punishment? You're criminals who benefited from the society built off the blood of my ancestors!"

"That is not a criminal act, Quilge." Sabo glared at Quilge, visibly upset over his statement. "It's never a crime to just exist."

"And yet the Quincy were the ones eradicated!" Quilge yelled. "And you all have the nerve to just go about your lives like nothing happened. How dare you all live on while the Quincy have been reduced to such small numbers? You have no right!"

"I'm sorry things had to reach that point, I really am." Sabo admitted. "I heard what happened between you Quincy and the Soul Society, and it's not fair things had to come to that. But you're barking up the wrong tree here, I didn't even know you people existed yet. And if you really think that punishing people who had nothing to do with what happened to the Quincy is going to set anything right, then I'm afraid you'll get no sympathy from me beyond a simple apology."

"I don't want your apologies. I don't want your sympathy." Quilge growled. "I just want you all to die!"

Quilge's body then transformed. "Meet my ultimate form! Biskiel!" Quilge revealed his Volständig. "I will now strike you down with my greatest power!"

Sabo sighed. "You can't be reasoned with." He noted. "You claim you can't forgive all of us for living on with smiles when the Quincy are almost extinct. Well, I can't forgive someone who thinks it's okay for others to suffer the same sadness and despair you feel."

"Anyway," Sabo continued, "I'm afraid there won't be anything bad happening to me today. You know you can't hit me, Quilge. My Devil Fruit prevents such a thing."

Quilge growled at this. Sabo then smirked. "Hey, mind if I ask you a question?"

"That jail cell, it won't break, no matter what I hit it with?" Sabo inquired.

"Of course, you fool!" Quilge yelled. "Only a Quincy can break my cages!"

"Good to know, now I don't have to worry about Maki." Sabo smiled.

A circle of fire appeared around Sabo. "Great Flame Commandment," Sabo formed a giant ball of fire above his hand, "Flame Emperor!"

Quilge's eyes widened at the sheer power of Sabo's attack. "Farewell," Sabo said, tossing the giant ball of fire that enveloped Quilge and the jail, but as Quilge said, Maki was unharmed.

"SABO!" Quilge screamed in pain and anger was he was incinerated by Sabo's powerful attack.

Then, when the Great Flame Commandment let up, Maki was left unharmed in a cage that was slowly breaking apart. Quilge Opie landed on his back, having reverted to normal, burnt and knocked out.

Sabo gave Quilge a sympathetic gaze. "I can't help but wonder if you're really the one who's imprisoned." He mused. "Maybe before putting others in cages…you should look into freeing yourself from your own cage."

Meanwhile, Anko Mitarashi made the first move against Erigor the Reaper. "Shadow Striking Snakes!" Anko yelled as two large snakes came out from her sleeves towards Erigor.

Erigor grinned. "Storm Shredder!" He yelled, holding his hand out in front of him and shredding the snakes with multiple wind blades.

Chopper shrieked in horror. "Chopper, it's fine," Anko told him, "I've got more."

"Anko, those snakes were lucky they died fast!" Chopper told her. "But…they knew they were about to die!"

Anko looked at Chopper in surprise before realizing. _Damn, he's an animal too. He can probably understand them. That means he's able to hear their last thoughts when he dies._ Anko thought to herself.

Anko, to her credit, paled in horror and disgust with herself. _Oh God, I can't use my snakes now. I don't want to traumatize little Choppy._

"WHERE ARE YOU LOOKING?" Erigor yelled. "Slicing Tornado!"

Anko reacted quickly as a tornado from Erigor sliced the ground, moving towards her. Anko cartwheeled out of the tornado's way and quickly ran through some Hand Signs. "Fire Style!" Anko yelled. "Dragon Flame Jutsu!"

Anko breathed out a large amount of fire that rocketed towards Erigor. Erigor calmly held his hand out in front of him. "Wind Wall!" He yelled, gathering a defensive wall of wind in front of him.

Erigor's calmness was then shattered when he noticed Anko's flames had actually not been stopped, but rather, the two attacks cancelled each other out. "What is this?" He demanded. "Wind Magic is supposed to be better than flames!"

Anko smirked. "You Coalition goons clearly haven't been doing your homework." She noted. "Advantages like that don't really mean much anymore. Especially when things are mixed up thanks to our worlds coming together. In the end, what matters is, who's the superior fighter."

Erigor's vein popped out of his forehead. "You are not superior to me, Fly!" He yelled.

Anko felt the wind kick up around her. "Storm Bringer!" Erigor yelled as a tornado kicked up around Anko, enveloping her.

"Anko!" Chopper yelled.

Erigor's triumphant grin was wiped away when a log was flung out of the tornado. _Damn! A Substitution Jutsu?_

Erigor then felt chains wrap around his body, courtesy of Anko. "Binding Snake Chains!" Anko grinned. "Now I've got you!"

Anio yanked on the chains and pulled Erigor close to her. Before Erigor could do anything to counter, Anko dealt a devastating kick to his back that sent the reaper onto his stomach. Anko smirked. "As a so called 'God of Death,' how does it feel to be looked down on by the likes of us flies, hmm?"

Chopper smiled widely at Anko's actions. _She's amazing!_ He complimented. _No wonder Robin thinks she's awesome!_

Erigor forced himself to his feet, wincing at how sore his back felt from that kick. "Stupid fly, you haven't won yet." He claimed.

Anko frowned. "I disagree," she said, tossing several bombs at Erigor.

Erigor grinned. "My ultimate defense! Storm Mail!" He yelled, surrounding himself in a suit of armor made of wind as the bombs exploded around him.

Anko watched in surprise as the smoke and fire from the bombs were blown away by Erigor's Storm Mail. "Idiot flies!" Erigor taunted. "Even when I'm beaten, I just come back stronger than ever! You won't ever bring me down for good!"

"I'm starting to think you might be telling the truth on that." Anko admitted. "If we really are flies, you are like a cockroach."

"Then, I guess it's time we squish him, right?" Chopper said calmly as he finally stepped up to the plate.

"Huh, Chopper?" Anko was surprised to see the adorable reindeer stepping up to fight.

"I'm a doctor, and he's a reaper who takes lives." Chopper said glaring at Erigor. "Maybe I do find the grim reaper scary…but as someone who's job is to preserve life, it is my solemn duty to stop those who take it as happily as you do."

Erigor laughed. "You say that and you joined a war?"

"Does seem kinda funny, doesn't it?" Chopper admitted. "But that's the thing, I'm not just a doctor, I'm a monster, a monster that wants to be useful to his crew, his friends."

With that, Chopper transformed. "Kung Fu Point!" He yelled, revealing his Kung Fu-style transformation to both Erigor and Anko.

Needless to say, Anko was utterly amazed by Chopper's actions. "So! Freaking! Cool!" She exclaimed with stars in her eyes.

"And what is that supposed to do?" Erigor demanded.

Chopper grinned. "Well, as the name should tell you, I now know kung fu." He revealed. "And not to brag or anything, but I'm pretty good at it!"

Chopper dropped into a kung fu stance. "Cloven Kung Fu!" Chopper began before throwing his cloven fist forward. "Air Strike!"

Erigor gasped in surprise as Chopper sent a compressed blast of air towards him. _Does he think that can break through my Storm Mail?_ Erigor arrogantly thought. _Fine, I'll show him how useless it is. Fall to despair, fly!_

Then, when Chopper's Cloven Kung Fu: Air Strike, collided with Erigor's Storm Mail. The impact actually changed the direction of Erigor's Storm Mail and carried it away from him like he had been stripped. Erigor's eyes widened in disbelief. "Impossible!" He yelled. "Your wind was stronger than mine?"

Chopper then vanished, having leapt at Erigor. The kung fu master was then right in front of Erigor. "Cloven Kung Fu!" Chopper brought both of his hooves back. "Qigong Palm!"

Erigor quickly held his scythe out in front of him, only for Chopper's attack to shatter the blade of his scythe and strike him right in the chest. Erigor's eyes bulged as he lost focus on his ability to float in the air and fell to the ground. "Squished…like a fly…" he groaned, losing consciousness before hitting the ground.

Chopper landed gracefully on his feet. Before he could celebrate his latest victory, the reindeer was glomped by a happy Anko. "Why didn't you tell me you could transform into something just as cute?" She wondered, trying to become one with his fur now.

"Umm…slipped my mind?" Chopper offered, trying to push the happy woman off of him.

 _I don't think we're going to win this competition the commander put out for us._ Chopper noted as Anko rubbed herself against Chopper's fur.

Akatsuchi watched in horror as the body of Rufus Lore was driven into the ground by Shokushi's nails. "LOVELY!" Shokushi shrieked with glee. "Lovely! Lovely! Lovely! LOVELY!"

"Rufus!" Akatsuchi yelled, terrified at the sight of seeing his ally killed.

Then, the body of Rufus vanished into thin air, much to the surprise of Akatsuchi and the fury of Shokushi. "NO!" Shokushi yelled. "NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NONONONONONONONO! Why is there no blood? Why is there no carnage? What has happened? What has happened? Why has this happened to me?"

"Memory Make," came Rufus's voice, "Atomic Fire!"

Shokushi shrieked in pain as he was struck in the back by a beam of fire and lightning, courtesy of Rufus launching his sneak attack. Shokushi was pushed forward by the beam and was almost knocked onto his stomach, but dug his feet into the ground and managed to keep himself propped up.

"No fair! Cheating! Cheating! Cheating!" Shokushi angrily yelled. "You're denying me all that wonderful blood red!"

"Because I like my blood where it is." Rufus admitted. "Inside of my body, much easier to keep track of and remember that way, you know?"

Shokushi simply shrieked in anger and launched his nail blades at Rufus once more. Rufus acrobatically leapt over the nails and held his fingers up to his head once more. "Now, memories of ice and memories of wind, come together! Memory Make," he chanted, "Diamond Dust Tempest!"

A tempest of wind and ice appeared from Rufus's imagination and struck Shokushi, making the Outlier shriek once more in pain as he was assaulted on all sides by Rufus's powerful attack. "I almost feel bad with how overkill this is," Rufus admitted, "but frankly, it haunts my nightmares whenever I come across monsters like you. Maybe it's because you remind me of the times empathy never crossed my mind. Or perhaps it's because even at my worst, I found myself disgusted by the likes of you. Either way, I'd rather not keep you in my mind for too long."

Shokushi shrieked in anger and pain. "Diediediediediediediedie!" He shrieked, sending all ten nails at Rufus.

At that moment, Akatsuchi managed to snap himself out of his stupor. _Rufus is giving his all. I can't fall behind. Because frankly, the idea of letting a dirtbag like this guy continue to run around will only fill me with regret too!_

"Earth Style: Rising Platform!" Akatsuchi yelled, making the ground rise up underneath Shokushi.

Shokushi gasped in surprise as his attack was sent off course through the simple act of having the point he was standing on raised into the air. "My canvas!" He shrieked, horrified at being denied once more.

Rufus smirked. "Thanks for giving me a clear shot, Akatsuchi." He complimented. "Memory Make: Shrine of Turbulent Fang!"

Shokushi gasped as a series of tornados were created by Rufus's Memory Maker Magic. The platform Shokushi was standing on was destroyed. Then, the Outlier was swept up into the tornados, heavily damaging him in the process.

Shokushi shrieked. Rufus smirked triumphantly. "You think you're terrifying, but in the end you're just another mentally unbalanced thug who I'll forget about before this campaign ends." Rufus taunted Shokushi.

"KILL!" Shokushi screamed in anger as he drove his long fingernails into the ground and pushed himself out of the twisters.

Rufus sighed. "You can't even realize when you've been beaten. Maybe it's because you're insane, or maybe it's because this isn't your first fight and you're rightfully confident having lasted as long as you have. Who knows, once upon a time you'd have been a greater threat. Those bladed fingernails of yours are fast. I've memorized their speed, and its quite impressive."

Shokushi landed on his feet and then propelled himself forward with his nails towards Rufus. Rufus sighed and prepared one final attack. "Consider yourself driven into the deepest depths of my memories," he said, "so far away that I will forget you as quickly as I can manage."

"Memory Make: Boiling Hell Sea!" Rufus combined water and fire magic into a twirling blast of water and flame that mixed together and blasted Shokushi.

Shokushi let out one final shriek as he was sent sailing into the sky once more by Rufus's powerful attack. Akatsuchi watched, utterly amazed by Rufus's power. The power to combine two magics into one powerful spell…it was frightening. Imagine if he could do it with three or even four kinds of magic.

Rufus smirked. "Let's see now; airborne, covered in water, and on an island with constant lightning strikes. I'm no meteorologist, but it doesn't take prior knowledge in weather to say that your odds aren't great."

Lightning then amazingly struck Shokushi, charring him and driving him into the ground, putting an end to the Outlier. The bone-thin albino was sprawled out on his back, his mouth open in utter disbelief, as though he was unable to comprehend that he had been beaten so easily. Unable to comprehend that after all of his time creating bloody canvases and striking fear into the hearts of the enemy, it was he who had been turned into a canvas of violence.

Rufus turned his attention to Akatsuchi, who was pouting slightly. "What's wrong, Akatsuchi?" He asked curiously.

"I wasn't much help to you." He lamented.

"Nonsense," Rufus smiled brightly and encouragingly, "I told you, didn't I? Your efforts gave me a clear shot at him. And, your presence also forced him to divide his attention between us until I had frustrated him as much as I did."

"Akatsuchi, you were a big help, and I will keep my memories of your aid for as long as I can, especially because we're allies, are we not?" Rufus told him with complete and utter sincerity.

"Yes, you're right." Akatsuchi smiled, touched by Rufus's statement. "Thank you, Rufus."

Meanwhile Hamaki stood calmly in the dead center of his Smoke Fog. He grinned cockily into the black abyss. "Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey," he taunted his two opponents, "you know you can't escape me, right?"

"I mean, at this point, you trying to flee the Smoke Fog will only result in you running out of breath faster, and once you run out of breath, you die from smoke inhalation. At this point, you've been in here for too long to be able to escape. Of course, if you stay in one place, you'll also die of smoke inhalation."

"And staying in one place also isn't going to help you because as soon as you move, the smoke will be disturbed and I'll figure out where you're moving and then BAM! You're bleeding and suffocating. That doesn't sound like much of an end either. Of course, you could try attacking me and I'll just shoot you as soon as you're out of the smoke. And BAM! You're dead before you even hit the floor. I'm a deadeye after all."

"Oh God, I just realized," Hamaki laughed at this, "there's not a single way for you to die that's pleasant. Every single possible death you could experience will be an absolute miserable hell, and you've got nobody to blame but yourselves!"

"Hey, aren't you guys supposed to be super skilled fighters who managed to somehow win in the Wizard World?" Hamaki taunted. "And now here you are, helpless against my Smoke. I guess it just goes to show you how little power and skill mean against the great equalizer of _my_ Art."

"Honestly, for people to fawn over the likes of you, just because of something as dumb as raw power, it's disgusting. You think we're so wrong for trying to create the world Lord Konton wants to create, and yet the lot of you are more Social Darwinists then we are." Hamaki claimed. "At least with us, you know that you'll stay alive if you stick with the Coalition."

"Oh my God, do you ever shut up?" Millianna had finally had enough of listening to Hamaki's crap.

Hamaki frowned, a vein popped on his forehead. His eyes narrowed behind his thick black sunglasses. "If you really think that's what the Alliance is about, then I have a bridge back home to sell you. Maybe if you actually took the time to learn why we're opposing you so much, you'd realize it's you who's supporting the wrong side!"

"Really? Then what is the Alliance all about?" Hamaki inquired, sounding curious.

"Togetherness!" Millianna revealed. "We never would've gotten as far as we have without having each other to help out along the way!"

"My God, you should sell a self-help book with an attitude like that." Hamaki taunted. "You have no reason to proclaim such things when you're stopped dead in your tracks. What can your friends get you when you're dying of asphyxiation from smoke, bitch?"

Hamaki aimed into the smoke and fired randomly. He smirked when he noticed spots in his Smoke Fog moving inwards. _Well, well, well, it looks like we're on the right track._ He noted, _okay then…_

"I've found you," Hamaki teased sadistically, "the question now is, how many more shots can you avoid before you slow down and I shoot you down, hmm? I so want to find out!"

Hamaki continued to fire into the smoke. "Me? I can go all day and all night! These pistols have unlimited ammunition thanks to the fact they're loaded up with Reiki."

Hamaki just laughed as he peppered the area in front of him with Reiki fire. "You know, while the numbers vary, the average person can hold their breath for between 30 seconds and 2 minutes. It just depends on who you talk to. Of course, since you all are super humans, I can imagine you could hold your breath for even longer than that."

"Damn it, stop treating this as a joke!" Carrot suddenly yelled out, surprising Hamaki with the sheer ferocity in her voice.

"Oh?" Hamaki paused in his volley of gunfire.

"Do you even realize how painful it is to die like this?" Carrot demanded. "Do you even care? Do you ever stop to consider the effect your so-called 'equalizer' has on people?"

"I'm well aware I'm wracking up quite the bodycount with this Art of mine, rabbit girl, yes." Hamaki shrugged. "What's your point?"

"My point is, I'm tired of you," Carrot revealed, "I won't let another guy like you torture others by stealing the breath in their body!"

"And you know what, you're going to be easier than the last guy we had to deal with. You may have stopped us in our tracks, for the moment, but you are no Jack the Drought! We won't be brought down by the likes of you!"

Hamaki chuckled. "Maybe I'm not Jack the Drought, but I'm pretty confident I can choke that bastard to death as well. I told you. Men like me are the equalizers of this universe. We take arrogant filth like you down a peg who muscle their way through every problem."

"And we're here to take you down a peg when you think you're the damn authority of the universe." Carrot exclaimed.

"That's right!" Millianna added. "We fight for the sake of each other, not to prove a thing to anyone. I've got nothing to prove. My power is only useful for sealing away energies. I'm just like you, Smokey!"

"Are you now?" Hamaki said, visibly interested now. "So tell me, what can you hope to do? I mean, in the battle between two complicated powers like ours, the one who strikes first has the advantage and that's me."

"Good for you," Millianna smiled, "but the one who strikes last wins the fight! And you're about to learn what really sets the Coalition and Alliance apart!"

Millianna suddenly leapt out of the smoke. Hamaki laughed and took aim at Millianna. "That's your plan? Charging in head on! Come on, at least try not to be something you're not. You really had me interested when you said we're the same in terms of our power!"

Millianna smiled as she suddenly threw out her arms to the side. At that moment, a large line of smoke came rushing out towards Hamaki, enveloping him in his own smoke. "The hell?" Hamaki yelled in surprise, instinctively shielding himself from the smoke.

Millianna's smile became triumphant. "The real difference is that when things get tough, the Alliance takes it to another level. We don't let anything cage us!"

Hamaki's eyes widened. At that moment, he managed to see Millianna holding onto her own whip. _She wrapped her whip around her comrade to make her faster!_

 _And they're too fast for me to catch up with them!_ Hamaki realized with horror as Carrot suddenly came bounding out on his right.

"When the chains bind us and hold us back," Millianna said, her words also referencing her past a slave, "we break our chains…"

Carrot sped in front of Hamaki, Millianna's binding tube still wrapped around her midsection. Electricity gathered around her fist. "Eleclaw!" Carrot yelled, punching Hamaki square in the face.

Hamaki yelled in pain as he was dealt thousands of volts of electricity from Carrot's attack. He went completely straight before falling onto his back. "…And push past our limits!" Millianna finished her declaration.

The smoke suddenly cleared, surprising both Carrot and Millianna. "The smoke has gone away." Millianna stated the obvious.

Carrot smirked. "The best way to beat a guy who gives you a time limit to win? Knock him out before time's up. You shouldn't have given away your location with all that gunfire." She said, trying to get the last word in against the downed Hamaki.

Millianna then decided to be the one who got the last word in, much to the annoyance of Carrot, as what the cat girl said was…atrocious to say the least. "Consider yourself _smoked_."

Meanwhile, Aika went on the offensive. "Iron Claws, and to add a little more to the mix, Iron Boots!" She said, revealing her mighty claws and two boots made of iron.

"She can't be serious." Nico Robin muttered. "Shouldn't those boots slow her down?"

Aika smirked, hearing Robin's disbelief. "I've been working out in these from the get-go. Believe me, they won't slow me down at all!"

With that, Aika leapt at Robin with such force and speed, the ground and actually shattered and let out a loud boom in the process.

Robin's eyes widened for a brief moment, surprised by how fast Aika was. Then, she regained her composure and smirked. "Well, well, you are actually pretty fast."

Robin crossed her arms and two hands sprouted out and grabbed Aika, stopping the woman in her tracks. Aika's eyes widened in surprise. "What?" She said flatly.

Robin chuckled. "Sorry, if this were two years ago, maybe you'd have managed to catch me off guard, but I'm afraid that's not the case anymore. I used to say that power and speed meant nothing to me, but deep down, I knew that it wasn't true back then, because there were just two many people in the world that terrified me. Because I knew they could outpace me."

"But now," Robin continued, "I truly mean it. Two years getting stronger for the friends who have my back no matter what, and there is no longer a single person who can escape the Flower Flower Fruit without being touched. I managed to reach such a level…because now I no longer have anything to fear."

With that, the two hands tossed Aika backwards, away from Robin. Aika's face contorted into a look of sheer hate and annoyance. She could not stand Robin; not at all. "Blow it out your ass, bitch!" Aika completely lost her composure and her sense of superiority and screamed at Robin. "You haven't won yet, so wipe that stupid smirk off your face!"

Aika leapt at Robin once more, only to be impeded by Samui this time. Samui had drawn her blade once more and was clearly not going to let her go anywhere near Robin. "I'm your opponent," Samui told her, "you focus on me."

Robin pouted. "Samui, come on, we're both her opponents, you can share."

"We could get in each other's way and slow each other down." Samui replied, defending her own actions. "I refuse to be slowed down by this woman for any longer than I should have to be."

"I know you want to win the contest that Sabo put out, but you should be careful. If it were anyone else, they'd be a bit irritated by the way you're acting." Robin admitted.

Samui sighed. "I'm sorry, Robin, I know it's not cool of me to act like this…but you're right, I really do want to win this."

"HEY! Pay attention to me, damn it!" Aika yelled, still pissed off over them not taking her seriously.

"I'm giving you all the attention you deserve." Samui told him. "We may be having a contest on the side, but I'm not treating this fight like a game, Aika. A massive hypocrite like you, who throws a temper tantrum over fighting a losing battle after bragging about flaunting her power, doesn't deserved to be taken too seriously. Just serious enough to get your uncool ass kicked."

Aika snarled and began leaping around Samui, trying to swipe at her with her Iron Claws. Samui calmly blocked each and every swipe from Aika's claws. "RAH!" Aika roared in anger and frustration. "Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! DAMN IT!"

Aika leapt away from Samui to put some distance between the two of them. "If you're done, I'd like to go on the offensive now and put an end to this." Samui told her. "Is that cool with you?"

A vein appeared on Aika's forehead. "You know what? Fine! That's totally cool! If you want to attack me now, go right ahead! In fact, why don't we make things interesting with me adding a little something extra to the mix, eh?"

With that, a suit of iron armor appeared around Aika's body. She looked like a valkyrie form the age of Norse Mythology. "Iron Valkyrie!" She announced.

"This is my ultimate defense you cow!" Aika explained. "By all means, try to attack me when I'm like this! I dare you! I triple dog dare you!"

"She skipped the double, double dog and triple dog." Robin noted.

"It'll just bounce right off of me!" Aika claimed with glee. "So by all means, attack me with that lame-ass sword of yours! I can't wait to watch you fail!"

Samui heaved a sigh. "Let it be known you asked for it." She said as lightning chakra began to travel through her katana…formerly Atsui's katana.

"Cloud Style: Lightning Style…" Samui trailed off as she crouched down to leap at Aika and attack her.

Samui then leapt at Aika. "Come at me, BITCH!" Aika yelled, bracing herself for impact.

Then, as soon as Samui swung her katana, the blade tore right through Aika's Iron Valkyrie, cutting into her body as well. Samui appeared behind Aika. "…Electric Heating!"

Aika's mouth dropped open in shock and pain letting out a silent scream. Samui smirked triumphantly. "Electric energy can be transformed into heat energy, and I believe heat melts iron, right?"

Samui looked over her shoulder. "This right here is the amount of attention you deserved."

"You…bitch…" Aika groaned as she collapsed, losing consciousness.

Samui sheathed her katana. _Looks like we won, Atsui._ She thought with a triumphant smile, happy to see the fruits of her training with her dead little brother's katana.

Nico Robin then began applauding Samui's victor. "Very impressive, Samui," Robin said before giving the girl a teasing a smile, "you must really want to win that contest. Now I'm convinced you want to ask for a date with my captain."

And just like that, Samui was now blushing in embarrassment…

Meanwhile, Kaneshi hummed as he remained in his meditative position, continuing the push back against Kensei Muguruma and Bickslow with his psychic powers. "They say that the key to strength lies in one's willingness to work up a sweat. I see things…just a bit differently. I believe that working up a mental sweat is the key to power."

"After all, where do our special techniques that we love to shout out so much come from? The mind is where they come from. You want power? You want special techniques? You must be willing to work up a mental sweat."

Kensei and Bickslow both glared at Kaneshi. "You talk way too much, jackass." Kensei noted.

"Based on the situation, I'd say I have the luxury of talking just a bit more than usual." Kaneshi noted. "After all, we've been fighting for quite awhile, and I've been able to simply meditate, enjoy the silence of a clear, happy mind."

"Now then, why don't I go on the offensive again?" Kaneshi suggested.

"Kinetic Storm!" Kaneshi yelled, launching more rocks and debris at Kensei and Bickslow.

Bickslow was forced to leap acrobatically over each every attack while Kensei cut up the rocks and debris of Kaneshi's Kinetic Storm with his Tachikaze. Kaneshi then decided to try a different tactic. "Psychic Tornado," Kaneshi commanded as a force of psychic energy spun around, sweeping up both Kensei and Bickslow in winds and debris.

"The power of the mind is truly a splendid thing." Kaneshi noted. "There are plenty of those with psychic powers who far surpass mine, but I'm quite proud of the power I've obtained in my time as a soldier."

Kaneshi was then cut off when Kensei swung Tachikaze and dispersed the Psychic Tornado. "I think you'll find that I've got my own strength that I'm pretty proud of." Kensei admitted.

"After all, I am Squad 9 Captain Kensei Muguruma. If I let someone like you take me down, I'd have to turn in my title and go into an early retirement." Kensei grinned.

"Hey, Bickslow, you go and rest up." Kensei said to his partner. "I'll be more than enough for this guy."

Bickslow just grinned. "Yeah, I'm sure you will be." He agreed. "Sorry, man. Honestly, if I hadn't gotten so careless I could've taken him down alone."

"No problem, the first part of a fight is always experimenting." Kensei admitted as he tossed Tachikaze around. "Don't worry, you just relax and let me take care of this."

Bickslow grinned and sat in a cross-legged position. "Sorry I don't have a big foam finger with me." Bickslow joked. "I'd be waving it around shouting 'you are number one.'"

"You can still do that, dumb ass." Kensei deadpanned.

Bickslow just laughed and started waving his index finger at Kensei. "You're number one, you're number one." Bickslow chanted with a stupidly happy expression on his face.

Kensei rolled his eyes. "Why do I always get the nuts?" He muttered to himself as he stepped up to face off against Kaneshi. "Okay, you masked freak, I don't like having my time waste, so I'm going to make this as simple for you as possible."

"My name is Kensei Muguruma, I'm the Captain of Squad 9." Kensei introduced himself properly. "And I'm going to kick your ass now. How are you?"

Kaneshi raised an eyebrow behind his mask. "I respect your confidence, Captain Muguruma." Kaneshi admitted. "But you can't get past my psychic powers. The mind is the most powerful thing in existence. While the idea that you only use 10% of your brain is only a myth and it actually varies from person to person, it is true that we do not use 100%."

"Your point Monologuing Bastard?" Kensei taunted.

"My point is that psychic powers unlock even more of one's brain power." Kaneshi revealed. "All of that potential, unlocked by simply training your mind and developing psychic powers. And you think you can win against that?"

"Now, Psychic Blizzard!" Kaneshi yelled, launching a more powerful version of the Kinetic Storm at Kensei.

 _I shall end you this time,_ Kaneshi thought, sure of his victory, _the Psychic Blizzard will blow you away, Kensei Muguruma._

Kensei was forced on the defensive, swinging Tachikaze to cut down each piece of debris and rock that was launched at him by Kaneshi's Psychic Blizzard. "You are moving well, Captain Muguruma, but it appears you cannot block everything." As Kaneshi said, some of the debris and rocks were striking Kensei, breaking through his defenses and actually cutting him with some rather sharp objects.

Kensei gritted his teeth, standing his ground against the force of Kaneshi's psychic powers. Bickslow sighed. "Geez, Kensei, don't go getting the guy's hopes up." He muttered. "People are going to start thinking we're the bad guys at the rate you're going."

Kensei then heaved a bored sigh. "Okay, I think I've had enough." He said. "You've got some good moves, Mask-Boy, but the sad thing is, those psychic powers that you're so proud of. They're tough…but they're not that scary."

"Oh, and one more thing," Kensei grinned, "about all that talk of special techniques? You've shown me yours, why don't I show you mine?"

Kensei's Tachikaze formed into an orb of pure Spirit Energy. "Bakudantsuki!" Kensei yelled, throwing the orb forward and letting it explode, blowing back Kaneshi's Psychic Blizzard and making Kaneshi fall out of his meditation. The psychic yelled in pain, clutching his head as he fell from his floating, meditative position, onto his rear.

"See, the people who think that it's working up a physical sweat or a mental sweat, honestly, I think they're both wrong." Kensei admitted. "If you want power, you just have to grit your teeth like a man and beat back whatever challenges life throws at you."

Kaneshi got to his feet and returned to the fight. "Psychic Tornado!" He yelled, creating another cyclone to try to sweep up Kensei once more.

Kensei just grinned and calmly walked through the tornado, coming out unharmed. "Some ass-wipe who just sits around and throws rocks isn't strong at all."

With that, wind began swirling around Tachikaze, having reverted back to its regular combat knife form. "No…" Kaneshi muttered in disbelief.

"Hey, Masked Moron, in case this isn't obvious enough for your psychic powers, this is where you lose." Kensei raised Tachikaze. "Kamaitachi!"

Kensei swung the wind-blade form of Tachikaze and launched a powerful blade of wind at Kaneshi. Kaneshi's eyes widened as he tried to erect a psychic barrier, only for the Kamaitachi to cut right through the barrier and strike him in the stomach. Kaneshi yelled in pain as he was sent flying by Kensei's Kamaitachi. The psychic user then grunted as he was slammed into the face of a rock. Kaneshi's body went stiff before he fell onto his stomach, limp and unconscious.

"Oh hey," Kensei taunted victoriously, "a new technique. Pretty impressive, no?"

Bickslow continued chanting. "You're number one, you're number one."

"Will you knock it off!" Kensei yelled.

As the last of the four Outliers out in the field, Yūshirō Shihōin avoided combined assaults from Gin and Pearl while Hinata Hyūga was kept at bay by Don Krieg's Reiki bullets from his new silver armor.

"I can't believe they thought to send these two against us." Pearl just laughed. "Don, don't you think we should just put an end to them? It would be the gentlemanly thing to do."

"I suppose you have a point, Pearl." Krieg nodded. "Fine, kill the brat already. I'll deal with the girl."

Pearl turned his attention back to Yūshirō. "There you go, kid, I'm such a nice guy, don't you think? This way, you can just rest up…permanently and six feet under."

"You really think you can kill me?" Yūshirō seemed surprised at the notion.

Krieg's shoulder pads popped open, firing flares of Reiki that flew around Hinata. Hinata's eyes widened. "Protective Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!" She yelled, erecting a barrier to protect herself from the attack.

 _I thought flares were supposed to be for defensive purposes._ Hinata wondered.

When the barrier fell, Hinata saw Krieg right in front of her, his silver fist shining in the moonlight. "Take this!" Krieg yelled, throwing a haymaker at Hinata.

Hinata leapt away from Krieg, watching as his punch shattered the ground where she had been standing. _That armor makes him so much stronger than he really is._ She quickly realized.

Then, she heard Pearl speak up once more. "Of course I think I can kill you. You haven't been able to do anything to me or to Gin here. Logically speaking, I do believe that I can kill you, you get me, boy?"

"I suppose that is a fair assessment." Yūshirō nodded. "But Big Sister once told me…always reserve judgement for how you believe the fight is going to go for after you see your opponent fight."

"Following Big Sister's logic—and I always do because she is always right—you shouldn't believe you can kill me until you've seen me fight."

"With all due respect," Pearl grinned cockily, "I don't need to see a little brat like you fight. You're just a kid."

"Wouldn't you agree, Gin?" Pearl asked.

Gin remained silent. Pearl sighed. "You're really embracing the strong and silent type, aren't ya?"

Yūshirō looked at Gin. "Do you agree with your comrade's assessment, Mr. Gin?" He inquired curiously.

"No," Gin responded simply, "I apologize for how foolish Pearl is."

Pearl's mouth dropped open. "HUH?! What the hell Gin? What kind of message does that send when you communicate more with your enemies than your allies?"

Yūshirō took a deep breath. "First of all, I'm not a kid, I'm the head of the Shihōin Clan, Yūshirō Shihōin. I'm the proud younger brother of the greatest woman in the world, Yoruichi Shihōin."

"You couldn't beat me if you had five centuries." Yūshirō confidently declared.

At that moment, Spirit Energy surrounded Yūshirō's body, creating a pressurized Kidō around his back and arms. Gin and Pearl's eyes went wide in unison as Yūshirō's Spiritual Pressure increased exponentially.

Gin twirled his tonfas, ready to go on the offensive against Yūshirō to stop him before he could strike him. Yūshirō narrowed his eyes. "Go ahead and prepare your weapons." He said, now surprisingly calm and confident. "Nothing you do…can beat me as I am now."

Yūshirō vanished with enhanced speed. Gin's let out a small gasp before Yūshirō reappeared behind him and kicked him in the back of the head. Gin's eyes almost bulged out of their sockets before he found himself swaying and collapsed onto his stomach.

Yūshirō gazed at Pearl. "The dead should be respected, not defiled the way your people have. It's one thing to use them as willing allies, but you've perverted them into slaves. Everything you do goes against the Soul Reapers…against the stuff Big Sister despises. She honestly hates people like you…the Coalition, she hates them all, even though she'd never openly say it."

"Now, on behalf of my big sister…feel the wrath of my Shunkō." Yūshirō declared. "The wrath of Yūshirō Sakimune Shihōin's Shunkō!"

Pearl's eyes widened. He then realized, with horror, that Yūshirō had knocked Gin out first so he did not have to feel any guilt for going all out against someone who was so far below his level.

"Shunkō," Yūshirō said as the pressurized Kidō was fired from his back like a cannon, "Bakuen Musō!"

"GYAH!" Pearl yelled in fright and pain as he was enveloped in the explosion. His armor cracked and melted off of his body as he was blown onto his back.

Knowing that Pearl was not going to get up after that attack, Yūshirō turned his attention to Krieg. Hinata seemed to be ready to push back against the so-called Pirate Admiral. However, Yūshirō decided to do the gentlemanly thing and make an offer to her. "Ms. Hinata, I can take it from here if you wish?"

"Do you not think I can beat him?" Hinata demanded with surprising confidence and annoyance with the young looking man.

Yūshirō was taken aback by Hinata's statement. He had not expected such fire from her, fire comparable to his big sister. And just like that, he was looking at Hinata in a completely different light. "Don't you dare ignore me." Krieg growled.

Hinata turned her attention back to Krieg. "It doesn't matter which of us takes you on at this point, Don Krieg, we'd beat you either way."

"You claim to have the superior arsenal, but all I see is a man hidden in a protective shell." Hinata told him. "All I see is someone who could never advance across the sea and become King of the Pirates because all he does is hide."

"I hide from nothing!" Krieg claimed. "I am Don Krieg, the greatest pirate of the East Blue!"

"You are nothing more than a tenth of the pirate Luffy is!" Hinata declared. "Luffy has ambition! He has heart! He has the courage to move forward, even if he doesn't try to stack the odds in his favor with armor and weapons!"

Hinata's words came from her own time spent in her own 'shell.' But now she was advancing. No more hiding, no more running, she was advancing now. Krieg snarled at Hinata's statement. "Don't you dare utter that filthy name in front of me, girl!" He yelled.

Hinata turned her attention to Yūshirō. "So, would you like to end this, or should I?" She asked.

"Let's do it together, Ms. Hinata!" Yūshirō said with an eagerness that surprised Hinata.

Hinata smiled. "Okay then, a combined attack."

A small laser cannon appeared on Krieg's wrist. "Here's an Anti Matter Laser for the both of you! I'll show you what having the superior arsenal does for you!"

Hinata and Yūshirō simply stared at Krieg as they charged up their various energies. Then, the two threw their hands forward. "Combined Attack!" They yelled in unison. "Shunkō: Bakuenshō!"

Krieg fired his laser just as Hinata and Yūshirō launched their combined assault. Krieg's confidence was immediately wiped away as his laser was cancelled out by the combined power of Hinata and Yūshirō. He could only stand, paralyzed with fear as he was enveloped in a powerful blast that shattered his silver armor.

Krieg was left splayed on his back, beaten with an utterly stupefied look on his face. "Impossible…" he muttered. "Impossible…totally impossible…I'm Don…"

Hinata smiled. "I think we might've overdid it." She sheepishly admitted. "What do you think, Yūshirō?"

Hinata got her answer in the form of an extremely eager Yūshirō moving in front of her. "Ms. Hinata, I underestimated you." He admitted as he got on his knees. "You are a truly splendid woman and warrior. Big Sister will always be the greatest, but you're amazing too."

Hinata blushed in embarrassment as Yūshirō slammed his head on the ground in a deep bow. "I am so sorry!" He hammily declared.

Hinata's embarrassed blush deepened. This was _so_ not okay for her.

Meanwhile, Kagami watched with relief and satisfaction as Kisame Hoshigaki held Uryū Ishida at bay with tremendous ease. _Okay, at least I can take comfort in knowing three of us aren't completely useless. Itachi, Shark-Face and me; everyone else can just go to hell for being so damn useless._

Kagami took the opportunity to gaze at her Surveillance Mirrors once more to check on the rest of the fighting. "But who knows," she muttered, "maybe someone will surprise me and do something impressive."

Then, Kagami went pale as she looked at her mirrors and saw something that was absolutely not what she wanted to see.

The other officers in Raijin Island had all been wiped out. It was only the first day of the battle, and they were actually very strong to some degree, whether it was from training, or enhancements from Rakuen. And the Alliance just wiped the floor with all of them. "Oh what the hell, what the hell, what the hell, what the hell?" Kagami muttered in disbelief. "How the hell did this happen? It shouldn't be happening. WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?!"

"What's up Mirror Girl?" Kisame asked, taking his eyes off Uryū and then absorbing another one of his Heilig Pfeil's with his blade.

"Umm…well, everyone else lost." Kagami admitted with a look of fright on her face.

"WHAT?" Kisame actually sounded surprised at that statement. "What do you mean everyone lost? We barely started!"

"I know, that's what I said." Kagami pointed out.

"Geez," Kisame groaned, "now Itachi and I have to pick up the damn slack. Now that's what makes this whole thing a real pain in the ass."

Kisame turned his attention to Uryū. "Sorry, Quincy," he said to the younger man, "now I've got to look at you a bit more seriously, because everyone else couldn't do their damn jobs like proper soldiers."

Uryū could not help but grin. "I guess you underestimated my allies."

"Not really," Kisame shrugged, "if anything, it feels like I overestimated my own allies. Though I will say this with absolute confidence. If Itachi had a fighting spirit like me, none of you would have a chance here."

"Even if he did, there is no way he's going to beat Luffy." Uryū said confidently. "Just like you're going to lose to me."

Kisame smirked in amusement. "You talk a big game for a guy who hasn't landed a hit on me. I guess I now have to wipe that little smile off of your face."

"Bring it then, I may seem a bit fragile compared to people like Ichigo, but I can take a hit just as well as he does." Uryū tried to lure Kisame into attacking him.

 _Once he attacks me, the Antithesis will take effect and I'll turn the tables on him._ Uryū thought to himself.

Kisame then smirked, surprising Uryū with how confident he seemed. "You seem to forget that people actually treat you as a threat, Uryū Ishida."

"Let me guess," Kisame continued as Uryū's eyes went wide at his next sentence, "you probably think that once I shave you to ribbons with my blade, you can turn the tables on me with your Schrift, right?"

"You also thought I was just the Akatsuki's dumb muscle," Kisame continued, "and Itachi was the brains. Well, to be fair, between the two of us, Itachi is the smart one. But, I like to think I'm pretty damn brainy myself. At least, brainy enough not to get caught in your obvious little trap."

"Even if I didn't know your Schrift, why would I fall for such obvious goading? You're going to have to do better than that if you want to beat me, boy."

Then, Kisame was suddenly blasted with lightning. Uryū gasped in surprise as the attack had come out of nowhere. _Raijin Island's lightning? No, I sensed magic in that attack…_ He trailed off, realizing who it was.

"If using a Schrift won't work," Laxus Dreyar appeared at Uryū's side, "then I'll just turn you into fried fish, jackass."

Neliel appeared as well. "Hi, Mr. Uryū," Neliel jovially greeted Uryū, "don't worry, we'll work together in this one."

Kisame growled as he shook off the blast of lightning, feeling his body tingled. "That freaking hurt." He muttered. "You won't get a shot like that again, Scarface."

Laxus raised an eyebrow at Kisame's nickname for him. "Scarface?"

"You do have a lightning bolt for a scar on your face." Uryū reminded him.

Kagami found herself sputtering in fear as Kisame found himself in a three-on-one fight. "What the hell is going on? Why is this all falling apart?" She fearfully demanded. "This wasn't supposed to be how things went! It shouldn't be how things went! Why is it going like this? We were supposed to be ready for this! WHAT HAPPENED?"

Kisame rolled his eyes, hearing Kagami's complaints. _Damn sheltered brats._ He thought to himself. _As strong as they are, most of 'em have never been in a real fight. The higher-ups of the kingdom don't have that issue. But the rank and file are basically cultists who expect everything to go their way._

 _So they've never been exposed to the possibility there are people out there who are their equals, if not their superiors._ Kisame added inwardly. _Well, in Mirror Girl's case she's just a cowardly bitch._

Then, Kisame sensed two presences coming close to him. Wait, no, they had flown right past him. _Flying, huh?_ Kisame smirked, genuinely respecting them for this act. _To think they'd be fast enough to avoid all the lightning here._

Kisame looked over his shoulder, realizing who they were going for. _Meh, I don't think I'll warn her._

"Eyes forward, Shark Man!" Laxus yelled. "Lightning Dragon Iron Fist!"

Kisame quickly blocked the lightning with his sword. "Going to take a lot more than that, pal." Kisame promised as the lightning was absorbed into his blade.

"The hell?" Laxus was surprised.

"Laxus!" Uryū called out to him. "You need to be careful, that blade devours energy."

As Kisame forced his opponents into a stalemate, Kagami's eyes widened as she realized that there were two people coming after her. "Mashirō Meteor!" Mashirō Kuna yelled, dropping in to try and stomp Kagami into the ground.

"EEK!" Kagami shrieked as she leapt and avoided the stomp.

"Curses!" Mashirō yelled dramatically. "You're quite fast, villain!"

"Well, you did shout like a valkyrie going into battle." Freed Justine appeared by Mashirō's side. His dark wings vanishing.

"EHHH?!" Kagami screamed in fury. "What is the meaning of this? Why do you people keep showing up? What are all those idiots doing?"

Freed glared at Kagami. "Your allies fought well." He promised. "We simply fought better. And then we decided we'd simply skip the middle man. I'm quite confident in my ability to maneuver around bolts of lightning, after all."

Kagami shook with anger, trying to restrain her own fury and frustration. Then, her violet aura shot up into the sky as she glared murderously at both Freed and Mashirō.

"FINE THEN!" She screamed. "If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself."

Kagami then clapped her hands together. "House of Mirrors!" She yelled, as several floating mirrors appeared, surrounding all three of them.

Kagami merged with the mirror right behind her. "Kyah ha ha ha ha!" She laughed as multiple reflections of Kagami appeared in all of the mirrors.

"Mirrors, huh?" Freed frowned slightly, a bit annoyed by this power of hers.

"That's right?" Kagami happily cackled along with her many copies. "How can you possibly stop me like this, huh? Who's the real me and who's just a reflection? Can you possibly find me now?"

"Mashirō Kick!" Mashirō kicked the mirror Kagami had originally merged with, shattering it with ease.

Mashirō's eyes widened in slight surprise when she saw no Kagami grunting in pain from the kick. "Too bad, so sad," Kagami taunted. "I swapped places already with a reflection of mine. Don't you get it? All but one of these mirrors are just a reflection, and you literally have no way of telling!"

"Allow me to ask you a question." Freed spoke up. "If the rest of you are just a reflection, does that mean that the real you is somewhere among these mirrors? Because there is no way to have a reflection if the real thing isn't here somewhere."

"Of course, you idiot!" Kagami insulted. "These do have to follow the rules after all. And guess what, mirrors reflect light! Let me show you!"

"Reflector Light!" Kagami yelled as the mirrors all lit up brightly and fired beams of light at Freed and Mashirō.

Mashirō and Freed were forced on the defensive, avoiding Kagami's attacks like they were out on the dance floor. Freed pulled out his saber and began speedily inscribing runes. "And you're absolutely telling me the truth? I certainly believe you. Without the real you being somewhere in this area, these wouldn't have anyone to reflect."

"Of course I'm telling the truth." Kagami was getting very annoyed with Freed's insistence on confirming that piece of information.

"In that case, thank you for confirming that you're somewhere in this House of Mirrors of yours." Freed smiled. "This will make things simple."

"Simple?" Kagami had to laugh at that. "You can't possibly mean to beat me when you can't even find me!"

"I'm the one who decides how my fights go, that's a rule…I will always follow as a wizard of Fairy Tail." Freed confidently claimed as he finished writing his runes. "Dark Ecriture…"

A sphere of purple light appeared in front of him, in the center of Kagami's house of mirrors. "Eh?"

"…Scattered Light!" Freed yelled as the sphere burst into several bullets of purple light.

Kagami's eyes widened in fear as the bullets destroyed the House of Mirrors, mirror by mirror. Then, when the last bullet struck, Kagami could only shriek in pain as she was struck dead on by Freed's attack. Kagami was then slammed into the ground, skidding several feet before coming to a stop, beaten and unconscious in one blow.

"One shot?" Even Kisame was surprised by this. "What the hell's up with that?"

"You guys underestimated us." Laxus grinned. "You expected the same people you saw back in Fiore, but the thing is, we've been working our asses off to make sure this campaign went better than the last."

Laxus, Neliel and Uryū both revealed auras of their respective energies. "You should count yourself lucky that you won the lottery with that blade, Shark Man." Laxus told him. "You wouldn't be out our level, otherwise."

Kisame laughed. "You know, I've got no choice but to believe it now. In the span of a few hours, you took down almost everyone on Raijin Island. Good job, I mean it."

"I hate to break it to you though, you're not the only ones who were training. There were plenty of us who had the foresight to work a little too. My partner, Itachi, he's one of them?"

"I can't wait to find out how Straw Hat does against him," Kisame admitted, "because if that kid can't pull it off, I'm afraid there's not much you can do at this point. Even I'm not able to beat Itachi, and I'm a ninja's worst nightmare thanks to my blade. But if Itachi comes back…you won't be going any further."

"While I appreciate the faith you have in your partner," Laxus responded with a grin, "I'm afraid I'm going to match it with unwavering faith of my own. Get this through your head, Shark Man."

"Monkey D. Luffy won't lose. I believe in him, as does everyone else in this fleet."

As Laxus confidently stated his belief in Luffy, the Straw Hat Captain continued his fierce clash with the Uchiha Killer, Itachi Uchiha. The two sped around their chosen battlefield, vanishing from the naked eye every second, reappearing for a brief moment to attack each other, and then vanishing just as quickly.

Luffy narrowed his eyes at how Itachi was actually managing to keep up with him. _This guy is as fast as I am. Was he holding back when we started?_

 **"It's not that he was holding back, Luffy."** Son Gokū spoke up in Luffy's mind. **"It's more that he's adjusted to your speed."**

 _Adjusted?_

 **"His Sharingan, Luffy,"** Son said to him, **"Itachi's Visual Jutsu, the Sharingan, allows him to copy almost anything, be it Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, or Taijutsu. And if I had to guess, he's copying your abilities like it's Taijutsu. And because of that, he's building up his speed to match yours as the fight goes on."**

 **"I have to admit, he's something."** Son continued. **"He's actually getting stronger the longer he fights you. He's a true prodigy, like Madara."**

 _Feel free to help me out any time, Son._ Luffy told his partner.

 **"There's not much I can do, Luffy. The Sharingan also forces back Tailed Beasts and can even place them under control. Freaking Kurama had a bad habit of falling victim to that."**

 **"The only thing I can tell you at this point is to follow my advice when we started. Keep staring at Itachi's feet. Do not look at his eyes."**

 _Yeah, yeah, I know._

As the two foes continued their struggle, Itachi's mind was elsewhere. _So this is the great Straw Hat Luffy, the man worth a billion and a half._

 _I must admit, he's as strong as the stories about him say. I can see why Zeref lost to him on Tenrou._ Itachi admitted. _And it appears that he already knows an effective way to fight the Uchiha too. It must be the Four Tails giving him advice inside of his mind. Unfortunately, I can't cut off that lifeline because he's not looking me in the eyes._

Itachi and Luffy then separated from each other. Itachi was finally able to take a moment to appreciate how fast he's been moving. _Amazing,_ he could not help but admit, _my speed…it's increased since this fight began. Is my body adjusting to match his fast fighting style? Yes, that must be the reason. As my eyes copy his every move…my body strengthens and adjusts to allow me to effectively use his moves…so this is what it is like to fight with a completely healthy body._

Itachi could not help but chuckle, catching Luffy's attention. "Huh, what's so funny?" Luffy demanded.

"Oh, I'm sorry, it was nothing directed at you, I promise." Itachi assured him. "It's just…the irony of my current situation is not lost on me."

"I died of a fatal disease that sapped me of my strength." Itachi explained. "Not that I minded of course, I despise combat. And now that I have a new lease on life…I find myself growing stronger and stronger when I thought I had reached the apex of my power."

"You don't like fighting?" Luffy seemed confused at the notion.

"Battle is a disgusting affair." Itachi growled. "I watched good men and women lose their lives in war at a tender young age. I had to take the lives of people dear to me because they chose to be selfish and seek rebellion against their own comrades. Battle only brings out the worst in people."

Luffy frowned with a pout. "Do you have a different opinion, Monkey D. Luffy?" Itachi inquired curiously.

"I hear what you're saying," Luffy admitted, "and I get what you're saying, but I refuse to accept it."

"Oh?" Itachi frowned as well.

"Maybe fighting does have all that…but fighting is the only thing I can do to protect my crew." Luffy said. "If that makes me selfish to you, then whatever, I don't give a damn what you think of me anyway."

"But who do you think you are, calling fights 'disgusting?'" Luffy demanded. "When fighting is sometimes the only thing people can do to protect the things they care about. You really need to get off your high giraffe, Itachi."

"Umm…the phrase is high horse." Itachi deadpanned.

"It's a four-legged animal, giraffes work for that phrase too." Luffy defended his choice of words. "Anyway, maybe I don't know about the things that happened to you that made you hate war and fighting."

"And maybe I do understand why you feel the way you do. After all, I couldn't imagine having to kill my family." Luffy continued.

"But don't you dare act like fighting will always be horrible, when so many people have given it all for each other's sake. They did that by putting up their dukes and fighting with everything they had! Don't you dare act like you're better than all those people!"

"Fighting can be good…because some people fight for each other?" Itachi was surprised at Luffy's sage statement.

"I…suppose I never thought of it that way." Itachi admitted. "Strange too…I sacrificed much for my village in battle…and yet your line of thinking never once crossed my mind."

"I take it that's why you're fighting me, for the sake of your friends?" Itachi asked curiously. "Is that how you are able to live with fighting in a war as destructive as this?"

"Damn straight," Luffy said, "you may have used those weird eyes of yours to match my speed in Second Gear, Itachi, but I'm not going to lose to you. I'm just getting warmed up!"

Luffy's arms blackened. "Gum Gum Red Hawk!" He yelled, throwing an attack at Itachi.

Itachi's eyes widened at the speed and force of the attack while leaping into the air. _My heart was actually racing from such an attack._ Itachi noted. _How long has it been since that happened?_

"Fire Style," Itachi refocused himself on the fight, "Fireball Jutsu!"

Luffy easily leapt over the fireball. "There's no way in hell you'll beat me with weak-ass fireballs!" He promised. "Sabo and Ace's are way stronger than yours!"

 _Damn, did he get faster?_ Itachi was surprised.

"Gum Gum Hawk Whip!" Luffy whipped out a blackened foot, intent on sweeping Itachi off of his feet.

Itachi was struck in the side by Luffy's kick, only to burst into a puff of smoke. "A Shadow Clone?" Luffy was surprised. "No way, he knows Naruto's Jutsu too?"

Itachi appeared behind Luffy. _So that's Armament Haki…such a powerful technique…wait, my Sharingan…it can't be…_

Itachi regained focus. "Water Style!" Itachi formed a lance of water in his right hand. "Water Spear Jutsu!"

 _With right force applied, water can shatter even steel. Let's see if you can take it, Luffy._ Itachi tossed the spear.

Then, much to Itachi's surprise, Luffy spun around the attack. "Gum Gum Hawk Rifle!" Luffy fired out his 'rifle' attack at Itachi.

Itachi's eyes widened, realizing what it was. _Observation Haki as well? Such power!_

He was then drilled in the stomach by Luffy's 'rifle.' Itachi grunted in pain before he noticed that same feeling again. _My heart is still racing? I can't be getting too excited by this fight, can I?_

Itachi found himself thinking back to Luffy's previous words: _"don't you dare act like fighting will always be horrible, when so many people have given it all for each other's sake. They did that by putting up their dukes and fighting with everything they had!"_

 _Are his words…resonating withe me?_ Itachi wondered.

 _I've lived my life under the belief that fighting and death was a necessary evil to maintain peace. I've never once even entertained the idea of it being…good. I lived my life cursing the fate of the Shinobi, the fate to be locked in constant warfare, and for people to be driven into early graves…and here's this young man…telling me that fighting can actually be good. That it can be the way warriors protect what is dear to him._

Itachi was cut off of his thoughts by Luffy. "You don't seem like too bad a guy, Itachi, so I'm going to promise you this." He said. "You're going to smile when you realize that I'm right. And who knows, maybe you'll find something important to you that you'll want to protect."

 _Fool…I've already found it. And even so, I do not have the right to fight to protect like you do. I'm nothing more than a puppet for Konton now. I'm not worthy of protecting anything._ Itachi thought grimly.

"And what if you are unable to protect anything?" Itachi asked curiously.

"I'll just fight harder and harder until I can, it's that simple." Luffy replied.

Luffy sped towards Itachi. "I can't use a sword, I can't navigate, I can't cook, I can't be a doctor, a shipwright, play music, be an archaeologist, or snipe! So all I can do is fight! And if it's not enough, I'll just try again as much as I have to until I succeed!"

 _Try again…and again…_ Itachi thought back to his constant failures as Sasuke's older brother, trying to make things right between the two of them. And things were finally fixed by having an honest conversation with him, and…

 _Fighting by his side._ Itachi realized. _Fighting by Sasuke's side and protecting him._

 _Yes…that's right, fighting can be cruel, but fighting can also be something truly beautiful, not because of glory…but because of the love it takes…to fight for something precious to you. How odd that you would take the time to make me understand that…Monkey D. Luffy._

 _You do intrigue me,_ Itachi admitted inwardly, _and perhaps that's why, right now, at this very moment…_

 _I truly want to test myself against you and find out how close I am to protecting the one thing that I cannot bear to lose!_

"Gum Gum Red Hawk!" Luffy threw another 'red hawk' at Itachi.

Then, much to Luffy's surprise, Itachi caught the attack with his bare hand. His surprise only increased when he noticed something very intriguing about Itachi's hand. It was pitch black, just like his fiery fist.

 _No way,_ Luffy's eyes widened in surprise, _did he copy my Armament Haki?_

 **"That's not good,"** Son muttered, **"this fight just got more complicated."**

However, Luffy was not thinking about those complications now. Just as quickly as he had been shocked by the revelation that Itachi had copied his Armament Haki and was now using it himself, that shock had been wiped away and replaced. For right now, he was thinking of something else that had gotten his attention, something that made him break his rule of fighting the Uchiha and look up as much as he could without looking him in the eye. He gazed at the lower half of Itachi's face and saw something that brought a happy, competitive smile to his face.

"Well what do you know," he said, "that took less longer than I thought it would."

Itachi looked up at Luffy, who ket his gaze on the lower half of his face. The lower half that contained a look that had nothing but joy, excitement, and the rush of battle. The lower half that contained a big smile from the stoic Shinobi.

"It looks like I got you to smile, Itachi Uchiha!" Luffy announced.


	11. Chapter 11: Luffy vs Itachi

**A.N: Ladies and gentlemen, I'm going to level with you all. November was a stressful month for me. The P key on my keyboard conked out on me, so I spent a week going around getting quotes on what that was gonna cost. Turns out, macs are designed in a way where the whole keyboard and the part that goes with it has to be replaced. In other words, for one key, I have to pay about $500 in repair and labor. I pretty much decided hell no, and attached a usb keyboard to my laptop. And now, no more issues. Take that, Apple. You will not scam me out of $500 that easily.**

 **So what does this have to do with everything else? Well, my mind was elsewhere obviously. So if anyone was expecting anything from me other than writing this month, I apologize because having a defective keyboard can really sap your motivation to do anything on the internet, for some reason. Thankfully, I managed to get this done. Along with a chapter for Wild Hunt, and the very first chapter of the War of Discoveries Prologue, a story that takes place while Five Worlds War is going on. I'm excited for it. Ryuzaki is excited for it. Go check it out, it's awesome. I apologize to anyone expecting a Multiverse Tournament Chapter. I started working on it, but ran out of time. Like I said, I had a lot going on. Hopefully War of Discoveries makes up for it. But, first, enjoy this chapter!**

 **Chapter 11: Luffy vs. Itachi**

Glee, that was all Itachi Uchiha felt. For the ninja who almost never got to be happy, this was such an odd change of pace for him. It had been so long since he felt true glee. In fact, the last time he had felt glee was when he had finally buried the hatchet with his precious little brother. Come to think of it, the only times he had truly felt glee were when he spent time with Sasuke. Father was always so strict with his training, and Mother, sweet woman she was, just did not have it in her to be what him and Sasuke needed. She was an Uchiha through and through, and as such, was a kunoichi first and a mother second. Itachi did not want to feel that way about his own mother, but it was the truth. She fell victim to the clan's curse, just like Father did. Tragically, Itachi just could not truthfully state that he felt any real glee with his parents.

And yet…here he was in the heat of battle with Monkey D. Luffy, and he actually felt something he never felt around his own parents. _I have never once enjoyed battle,_ Itachi thought to himself, _I always accepted it as a necessary evil, but it disgusted me, because it just led to needless loss of life. Such is the nature of the beast. A necessary evil, but disgusting all the same; how could I find any joy in such an affair?_

 _And yet…here we are…I'm smiling…I'm…happy…this boy…he's brought out emotions I'm so unfamiliar with. This is what it feels like to take joy in battle. This is what it feels like to be caught up in the heat of battle with an equal. And I must admit, the feeling is…_

Itachi's smile seemed to widen as he blocked a blow from Luffy. His eyes shone with pure joy.

… _AMAZING!_ Itachi screamed inwardly.

Luffy just laughed happily at the gleeful look on his new opponent's face. "Now that's more like it!" He declared. "I don't know what's gotten into you, Itachi, or what's suddenly gotten you so motivated, but I'm happy you've got it all figured out."

Itachi chuckled. "Well, you certainly have an interesting way of putting things in perspective, Luffy." He admitted. "For someone with a reputation for being something of an idiot like Naruto is, you can be…quite wise."

"Chitsujo once told me to embrace my dumbness." Luffy grinned. "Because it means I can view the world simply, as it should be. Smart guys can overthink things sometimes, so even the fools have their uses."

"That is…surprisingly odd advice to give…and yet I can't help but note the wisdom behind it." Itachi noted. "Maybe some do consider me a wise man…but that supposed wisdom caused me to overthink things when the real solution to my greatest problem was the most simple route, the most simple solution."

Itachi then grinned eagerly. "But enough dwelling on the past," he declared, "right now, what I want most of all is to behave like someone simple, like you and Kisame."

"Show me, Luffy!" Itachi said. "Show me what it's like to think simply, and just fight for what it is that you believe in!"

Luffy grinned right back. "Gladly!" He yelled, speeding toward Itachi.

Itachi did the same, the two vanishing in their respective slipstreams. "Gum Gum Hawk Rifle!" Luffy yelled.

Itachi held his blackened arm out in front of him and blocked Luffy's Hawk Rifle with ease.

Luffy was surprised. "Your Haki is already matching mine? That doesn't seem fair. I spent two years trying to get to the level I'm at, and you're already as good as me? Seriously, that is just not fair at all."

Itachi chuckled. "Have you forgotten, Luffy? Haki is a reflection of one's willpower." He reminded the Straw Hat Captain. "And I don't think you realize just how strong my will is."

"I was wracked by a fatal disease for years. I stayed alive for as long as I could with medicine and sheer willpower. I had to endure the guilt and shame of having to murder my own clan in order to stop a civil war. All of that required sheer willpower, Luffy. The hardest of decisions, the hardest of lives, the hardest of actions, they all require the strongest wills."

"And with the way my life has been…do you doubt the strength of my will?" Itachi inquired curiously.

"You're right, Itachi," Luffy nodded with surprising solemnness, "I shouldn't doubt the strength of your will, not if you've had to endure a life that crappy."

"However," Luffy continued, "I think you'll find my will up to par!"

"Gum Gum Red Hawk!" Itachi was slammed in the stomach by Luffy's next blow, pushing him away from the Straw Hat captain.

"Urk!" Itachi grunted in pain, clutching his stomach.

Luffy moved towards Itachi, intent on following up with another powerful blow. **"Remember, Luffy, do not look him in the eyes! He'll catch you in a Genjutsu as soon as that happens."** Son reminded him.

 _"I know, I know,"_ Luffy responded, _"but I can't afford to waste too much time. If his Haki is already at my level after just getting it, I need to take him down before he surpasses it!"_

"Gum Gum Eagle Bazooka!" Luffy fired his bazooka attack at Itachi, who leapt over it.

"Come now, Luffy, have the decency to look me in the eyes." Itachi said to him. "I give you my word, I have no intention of putting you in a Genjutsu!"

"Huh, seriously?" Luffy was surprised.

 **"LUFFY YOU MORON! DON'T BELIEVE HIM!"** Son yelled, visibly annoyed that Luffy would even consider believing Itachi. He was in his mind and knew what he was thinking after all.

"Son, be quiet, I want to know if he's being honest." Luffy said to him. "No weird illusions, right, Itachi? You're just going to fight me man to man?"

"I give you my word as an Uchiha…one of the few Uchiha who could see the world beyond the well-being of the clan." Itachi vowed.

 **"Luffy, I know what you're thinking, and don't do it. You don't know how honest he's being. He's a Shinobi, and Shinobi are masters of deception. You need to be smart and not fall for his tricks."**

"I believe you." Luffy told him.

 **"EH!"** Son screamed in shock.

"So, I'm going to look up into your eyes now." Luffy told him. "If you put a Genjutsu on me, I'm going to break out of it and beat you up for lying to me. On the count of three…"

"Wait, Luffy!" Itachi yelled.

Luffy froze. "My apologies," Itachi bowed his head, "but it appears the voice in my head doesn't want me to fight honorably. Please, keep fighting the way you are."

"Huh, is Konton telling you what to do now?" Luffy frowned. "Damn that guy, and I believed you too."

"And for what it's worth, I truly appreciate that you were willing to give me your trust, even though we are enemies." Itachi gave Luffy a small smile. "Now, let us continue!"

Itachi vanished into a slipstream once more, surprising Luffy. Luffy's eyes widened in surprise. _Did he get faster? I can't get out of the way!_ He realized before being kicked in the stomach and then knocked into the air.

"Now, Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!" Itachi took a deep breath and breathed a large column of fire up at Luffy.

Luffy quickly stretched out his arm and grabbed onto a burnt tree and pulled himself away from the flames. Itachi blackened both of his arms. "I'm coming for you, Luffy!" Itachi announced, rushing Luffy once more.

Luffy quickly blocked Itachi's punch with his blackened elbow. He winced slightly, Itachi's punch was so powerful, he could still feel the blow. Itachi then stepped into Luffy's defenses and prepared to throw a haymaker straight into Luffy's face. Luffy managed to duck underneath the haymaker thanks to his own Observation Haki. He then threw an un-stretched arm upwards in a powerful uppercut straight into Itachi's jaw, making him whip his head backwards.

"Now Gum Gum Hawk Stamp!" Luffy drove his foot into Itachi's stomach and drove him back once again.

 _His fighting style has changed completely._ Luffy thought to himself. _He was way more conservative when we started, but now it's like the guy's a completely different person._

 **"He wants to test his new powers, and you're a pretty good test subject."** Son reminded him.

"Cool," Luffy grinned, "I want to see how much stronger I've gotten too."

Luffy rushed Itachi, who narrowed his eyes and launched another powerful Fire Jutsu. "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" Itachi created multiple small fireballs that flew towards Luffy in an incredibly fast and unpredictable manner.

Luffy's Observation Haki went into overdrive as he leapt and weaved in and out of the Phoenix Flower Jutsu. However, several fireballs managed to make it through his defenses and struck him as he tried to make his way to Itachi.

Luffy then leapt over the last fireball and brought both of his arms back, ready to throw a truly devastating strike at Itachi. "Gum Gum Hawk Gatling!" Luffy yelled, firing his gatling attack at the Uchiha prodigy.

Itachi smirked. "None of those attacks will land." He vowed.

Luffy's eyes widened when Itachi started dodging each and every one of his punches simply by leaning in and out of each punch. He immediately realized just what Itachi was doing to dodge his attacks.

"He copied my Observation Haki too?" Luffy was stunned at the sight.

"The Sharingan sees all, Luffy." Itachi pointed out to him. "And you used your Observation Haki to avoid some of my attacks earlier."

"Observation and Armament Haki," Luffy gritted his teeth in slight frustration, "and he's already as good as me at it all."

 **"I guess we can take comfort in the fact he can't copy your Gum Gum Fruit."** Son noted. **"Then again, I guess it does make sense that he couldn't. Devil Fruits are basically Kekkei Genkai."**

Luffy narrowed his eyes. "Damn it, this is actually pissing me off a little. The guy is insanely good."

 **"He is a prodigy, Luffy."** Son pointed out to him. **"He wouldn't be much of a prodigy if he wasn't as good as he is."**

"Then I guess I'll just surpass the prodigy!" Luffy immediately declared.

"That's not as easy as you may think, Luffy!" Itachi suddenly appeared in front of Luffy and punched him square in the chest, making Luffy cough up blood. "I don't take too much pride in my abilities…but I am in no way an easy man to conquer."

Luffy was sent reeling by Itachi's punch, who proceeded to then kick him in the jaw and knock him onto his back. "Earth Style: Great Mud River!" Luffy was suddenly swept up in mud that swept him away like a wave.

Itachi smirked. "Now, Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bomb!" Itachi created a large dragon head from the mud that began firing mud bullets at Luffy.

"Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap!" Luffy yelled, stretching his arms upwards and then slamming his hands on the mud and launching himself into the air.

Itachi smirked at Luffy's actions, impressed with the Straw Hat captain's quick thinking. "It took a lot of strength to get out of the mud. Impressive, Luffy," he said to himself.

"However, you've left yourself wide open now!" Itachi declared. "Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"

Luffy's eyes widened as he was suddenly blown away by the powerful winds of Itachi's Wind Style Jutsu. He quickly grabbed onto two burnt trees, bracing himself in spite of being stretched almost to his limit.

Itachi's eyes widened, realizing he might've actually given his opponent a bit of momentum in attacking him. "Gum Gum Jet Rocket!" Luffy yelled, rocketing towards Itachi with a mixture of his Second Gear Speed and tremendous power and momentum from stretching so far backwards.

"Gum Gum Hawk Scythe!" Luffy stretched his arm out and clothes-lined Itachi with a blackened fist that extended to his wrist.

Itachi grunted in pain and was hurled into the air by Luffy's Hawk Scythe. _Damn,_ Itachi thought to himself, wincing in pain, _I could sense him coming and I still couldn't avoid his attack. So that's the limit of Observation Haki, we can't dodge the attacks we predict if they are too fast for us to avoid. Good to know…_

Itachi managed to land on his feet. "Wind Style!" Itachi yelled. "Beast Wave Palm!"

Luffy managed to avoid a blade of wind sent towards him by Itachi. "Now, another!" Itachi yelled, sending another Beast Wave Palm at Luffy.

Luffy avoided all of Itachi's speedy attacks with the help of his Haki. Itachi smiled, impressed with Luffy's speed and reaction time. "You are quite the prodigy as well." He complimented.

Luffy gritted his teeth and responded with an attack of his own. "Gum Gum Hawk Rifle!" He yelled, firing his rifle attack once more at the Uchiha.

Itachi grunted as he was struck in the shoulder by Luffy's Hawk Rifle. He quickly spun around and recovered. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" Itachi breathed a basic fireball at Luffy.

Luffy narrowed his eyes. "There's no way that's all, not with you!" He declared. "You're way too addicted to making complex plans for fighting like Nami and Robin."

At that moment, several flaming shuriken came out of the flames towards Luffy. "That's more like it!" Luffy yelled, avoiding the shuriken with ease.

Itachi chuckled. "You're right, between myself and Kisame, I'm without a doubt the brains of the two of us, and he's the muscle. Brute force is definitely more Kisame's style, while I overwhelm my enemies with plans where there's only one simple outcome: I win."

Luffy grinned at that statement. "Oh yeah? Then I guess I'm just going to have to make sure you lose for a change! Tell me, is losing something a prodigy like you just isn't used to?"

"Hey now, being the best isn't all that it is made out to be, Luffy." Itachi pointed out. "Believe me, I've never been the type who minded losing. You can gain just as much from defeat as you would from victory."

"Now that I can agree with as well." Luffy grinned. "Rayleigh kicked my ass during our training hundreds of times, and I learned just as much that way."

Itachi and Luffy could not help but grin at each other. Their respect for each other increasing with each passing moment. "Now, let's continue!" Itachi and Luffy yelled in unison, rushing each other.

Luffy threw a punch that went straight into Itachi's forehead, only for his body to burst into crows. "Another Clone!" Luffy was surprised.

Lightning crackled behind Luffy. "Flying Chidori!" Itachi yelled, tossing an aerial version of his little brother's Chidori.

Luffy barely flinched as the lightning bolt struck him. "You idiot," Luffy glared at him, "that won't work on me, I'm made of rubber, remember?"

"Oh I know, I just had to confirm, and slow you down enough!" Itachi yelled. "Fire Style: Fire Dragon Jutsu!"

Itachi took a tremendously large breath before expelling a sentient fire dragon from his mouth, flying towards Luffy. Luffy's eyes widened as he was then enveloped in the flames, which then exploded in a massive blast.

"I won't let up, Luffy! With my illness all gone, I have all of my chakra reserves and stamina back!" Itachi declared. "Earth Style: Earth Spike Jutsu!"

Itachi slammed his palm on the ground as multiple spikes sprouted up from the ground towards Luffy, intent on impaling him in multiple places.

Luffy quickly blackened his arms with Haki to block the spikes and make them break against him. Itachi's eyes widened in excitement once more. _Such wonderful reaction time!_

Itachi leapt at Luffy once more, wanting to press his assault on his foe. "Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!" Itachi yelled, blasting Luffy with a gust of wind once more.

This time, however, Luffy was ready to strike back and cancel out that powerful gust of wind. "Not this time!" Luffy yelled. "Let's see how your wind stands up against my force, Itachi!"

"Gum Gum Eagle Bazooka!" Luffy fired his bazooka attack once more. It was not aimed at Itachi, however, and cancelled the gust from the sheer force from the attack.

Itachi grinned happily at the move. "There we go!" He yelled. "Show me the strength of a bounty worth 1.5 billion!"

Luffy decided to go on the offensive now. Itachi seemed to be taking a break to catch his breath. It looked like he still had not gotten used to fighting at this new pace of his. "Gum Gum Hawk Gatling!" Luffy yelled, firing another gatling attack at Itachi.

Itachi's eyes widened slightly from the speed of the attack. However, thanks to his Observation Haki, he was able to avoid all of them. "I'm not done yet!" Luffy grinned. "How's this for a brand new attack, Itachi?"

Itachi narrowed his eyes. _A new technique?_

The gatling attack sped up. His fists then started heating up from sheer friction. Itachi's eyes then widened, realizing what was happening. "Gum Gum Red Hawk Gatling!" Luffy yelled, punching at Itachi with a barrage of fiery fists.

Itachi managed to continued avoiding the fiery punches, he winced, however, as the flames singed him. _Damn, he's catching up with me!_

Then, as Luffy's attacks increased in speed, Luffy suddenly began striking at Itachi repeatedly with his Red Hawk Gatling. Itachi grunted in pain with each punch in this massive, fiery barrage.

"Armament Hardening: Gum Gum Bell!" Luffy hardened his forehead with Haki and then slammed it into Itachi's, having the foresight to close his eyes and.

Itachi's eyes rolled into the back of his head as he stumbled backwards in pain. "The thing is, you got Haki far too quickly, Itachi!" Luffy revealed. "You still don't know how to wield your Haki just yet."

"For example, you haven't yet managed to keep yourself under control after being struck by attacks. You lose focus!" Luffy revealed. "You avoid so many attacks with your speed and your clones, that you're not used to taking so many blows. I love the enthusiasm, believe me! I love how you're rushing in to fight me head-on!"

"But you're not used to it, and it's showing!" Luffy declared, suddenly appearing in front of Itachi. "Gum Gum Hawk Bullet!"

Itachi's eyes widened for a brief moment before he was floored by a powerful haymaker. However, he quickly recovered and landed on his feet. "I suppose you're absolutely right." He admitted. "While I'm not terrible at Taijutsu, it's certainly not my weapon of choice. Ninjutsu and Genjutsu are."

"However, can you really blame me for wanting to put my new abilities through a field test?" Itachi wondered out loud. "When one discovers new power, their immediate response is to first test it after all."

"And for the sake of becoming stronger, for surpassing the me who failed in every way, I will continue testing my Haki until I have become even greater than you, Luffy." Itachi declared. "I will not lose."

Luffy grinned. "Glad to hear it, but I'm not going to lose either!" He vowed. "There are things that we can only achieve by winning this war. That means, losing is not an option for me. There's too much at stake!"

Luffy immediately enlarged his fist. "Since I now know that I have the advantage in power, I'm going to knock you out, Itachi!" He confidently declared.

"Take this! Gum Gum Elephant Gun!" Luffy yelled, firing a powerful Third Gear attack right off of the bat.

Itachi quickly burst into multiple crows to avoid Luffy's Third Gear punch. Itachi quickly appeared above Luffy. "Fire Style: Fire Crow Wing!" Itachi quickly breathed out multiple crows shaped by fire. Luffy looked at the fire crows and quickly fired back to cancel out Itachi's attacks. "Gum Gum Grizzly Magnum!"

Luffy fired out his magnum attack with enough force to blow away the flames, much to Itachi's amusement. "Splendid!" Itachi yelled, landing on the ground. "You're truly skilled at thinking on your feet, Luffy!"

Luffy launched himself towards Itachi with a powerful leap. "Gum Gum Elephant Rifle!" Luffy yelled, drilling at Itachi with a cyclone-like rifle attack.

"I can think on my feet too though!" Itachi declared, aiming his hands at the ground after going through several Hand Signs. "Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"

Itachi propelled himself into the air with an incredible gust of wind, avoiding Luffy's Elephant Rifle with ease. "Such power, it's speed pales in comparison to Second Gear though. However, because of the force and momentum from merely firing such an attack, I'd still take a hit unless I actually make the effort to dodge."

Itachi landed on the ground. "Take this!" Itachi yelled. "Fire Style: Great Wrath!"

And with that, Itachi breathed out a tremendously powerful burst of fire, so large that it actually covered the land in the dark.

Luffy's eyes widened. "Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap, OH CRAP!" Luffy yelled repeatedly, turning and running away from Itachi's Great Wrath attack.

"One of the most powerful fire Jutsus in existence, the wrath of the Fire God himself, who scorches the land with his furious power." Itachi explained as the Great Wrath made contact with the land, scorching it with tremendous force.

Luffy shrieked in fear as he was propelled into the air by the ensuing explosion. Itachi could not help but smile at the results of his work. _Just by being free of my disease, I've become even stronger…strong enough to fire off an S-Rank Jutsu without feeling any sort of fatigue. Splendid…_

Luffy landed on his feet. "Whoa, that was close. I could feel that thing burning my ass. Too close for comfort."

"Okay then, if that's how it's going to be, I'll strike back with something real destructive of my own!"

"That's right, hit me with everything you've got." Itachi smiled.

Luffy leapt at Itachi. "Gum Gum Elephant Gatling!" Luffy yelled, inflating both fists and then firing at Itachi with a powerful gatling attack.

 _Too fast…and too powerful!_ Itachi's eyes widened in realization. _Damn it, no!_

Itachi crossed his arms, blackening them with Haki to try and block the Elephant Gatling. However, his arms were immediately knocked back to his side. _DAMN IT!_ Itachi cursed in frustration.

Itachi tried to avoid the attacks now. However, he winced as he found himself taking blow after blow. With every attack he dodged, he found himself taking at least two more. _Such force…such power…_ He thought with each attack. _This is his strength too, not the Four Tails'!_

Itachi continued to grunt in pain as he experienced punch after punch. _Damn, so this is the limit of Observation Haki? If I can't avoid the attack…I'll just take the blow regardless. Well, at least I know where it'll come from…_

Itachi glared at Luffy, who was safely firing attacks at him from a distance. _No, this is not my Haki's limits…if Observation Haki is all about precognition, sensing an opponent's attacks before they actually come, then there is no way that this is my limit. Observation Haki, based on that simple definition, can be pushed even further. Precognition can be taken even further beyond, combined with the might of the Sharingan's eyes, I can achieve its highest level possible, faster than anyone else._

And so, with great effort, Itachi began forcing his Observation Haki to work, sensing where each blast from Luffy's Elephant Gatling was coming from. He tried to avoid each attack with his Haki's help, grimacing as he took hit after hit, managing to stay standing in spite of the tremendous power in each punch. _I can sense each attack, I know that they are all coming, I know where they are coming from…and yet, I know I can do more! I CAN DO MORE! I WILL BE STRONGER!_

Then for a brief moment, Itachi sensed exactly where Luffy's next attack was coming from before he even used it. Eyes widening. Itachi leapt over Luffy's next punch. Luffy's eyes widened. _Did he manage to dodge one of my attacks?_

Itachi was just as surprised. _I dodged one of his attacks? Did I…did I actually accurately predict his next attack? My God…did I just push my Haki beyond its own limit?_

Itachi then tried again, attempting to replicate that feeling. Then, much to his surprise, he once again managed to sense Luffy's next attack before he even used it. He twirled around Luffy's next attack. He saw an image of Luffy's next attack and where it was coming from in his mind.

 _My God,_ Itachi was now truly beginning to realize just what he was doing, _this…this is simply seeing the future. I can now see the future…and so soon, after getting this new power._

 _Damn…I guess I really am a prodigy in the end._ Itachi realized.

And so, Itachi began, weaving, leaping and dodging Luffy's attacks…while making his way towards the Straw Hat Captain. **"Luffy, stop attacking him! You need to get out of there!"** Son warned him. **"He's dodging your attacks!"**

 _That's impossible!_ Luffy's eyes widened. _They're coming at him too fast…he shouldn't be dodging any of them. No…he couldn't have gotten that good at it yet, not so soon!_

"TAKE THIS!" Itachi screamed, getting in front of Luffy and kicking him square in the jaw.

Luffy grunted in pain as he was sent hurtling into the air from Itachi's kick. **"Luffy!"** Son yelled out, concerned for the wellbeing for his new vessel.

Luffy yelled in pain as he skidded across the ground. He groaned after coming to a stop. "Ow…" he muttered. "And that was just from one kick, too…"

 **"You okay?"** Son asked worriedly.

 _"Yeah, I'm fine, my jaw's going to be sore tomorrow. Meh, nothing eating a ton of food won't fix."_

 **"…How will that fix anything?"** Son asked in confusion.

 _"The more I use my jaw, the better it will feel."_ Luffy reasoned.

 **"Luffy, you are not a doctor, please don't act like you are."** Son deadpanned.

Luffy ignored Son and returned to his fight with Itachi. "I don't know how he did that, but I won't let anything stop me!" He declared. "Gum Gum Hawk Rifle!"

Itachi smirked. _A straight attack…and he'll be vulnerable afterwards._

Itachi quickly held a single hand sign out in front of him. "Teleportation Jutsu!" Itachi yelled, vanishing from sight.

Luffy gasped. **"On your guard, Luffy!"** Son warned Luffy, only for Itachi to appear behind Luffy with a blackened hand.

With a yell, Itachi delivered a karate chop to the back of Luffy's neck, sending him reeling. "My Teleportation Jutsu is still nowhere near Shisui's level, but I can assure you it's still a force to be reckoned with." Itachi smirked.

"Now Gum Gum…" Luffy began.

"That won't work either, Luffy." Itachi shook his head.

"Hawk Whip!" Luffy yelled, sending out a whip attack once more.

"Wind Style: Beast Wave Palm!" Itachi cut Luffy across the shoulder with a wind blade. Normally, Luffy could avoid an attack like that with ease, but because Itachi could now see the future, he knew the perfect time to dodge an attack. The perfect time that would allow him to counter with an attack of his own while Luffy was vulnerable.

"OWOWOWOWOWOW!" Luffy screamed in pain, clutching his bloody shoulder.

"Now, Wind Style: Air Pistol Jutsu!" Itachi fired a highly compressed bullet of air that went through Luffy's other shoulder.

"Gah!" Luffy yelled in pain before managing to recover enough for another attack.

Of course, Itachi already knew he was ready to attack again. He had already vanished once more with a teleportation Jutsu. "There's no escaping this time." Itachi promised, inhaling deeply. "Wind Style: Great Pressure!"

Itachi exhaled a tremendous gust of air that slammed Luffy to the ground. Great Pressure was actually a restraining Jutsu of the most painful variety. The kind of Jutsu where if someone gained any sort of height on you, all they had to do was inhale, exhale, add Chakra to their breath, and then next thing the victim knows, they are pressed onto the ground like the gravity had just gotten heavier. It was a truly unique Jutsu that actually required correct positioning in order to use.

"I'm not done." Itachi continued. "Fire Style: Ash Cloud Jutsu!"

Itachi breathed a large cloud of ash that surrounded Luffy. Then, Itachi quickly pulled out a summoning scroll that revealed multiple paper bombs. "I really do hope you survive this!" He admitted as the bombs exploded, igniting the ash cloud and creating an even larger blast that enveloped Luffy.

Pacifist he may be, Itachi Uchiha was not one for half-measures either, unless he decided as such. This was the man who killed all but one of his clan, after all. It came with being an ANBU Black Ops member. Thoroughness was just a part of who Itachi was.

Itachi landed in front of the smoke cloud, wondering if Luffy had actually managed to survive such an attack. "I meant what I said." He noted. "I want him to be alive. There is still much I need to test."

"I have to admit, I never imagined I could be this strong. It's almost frightening. I used to fear my status as a prodigy…hated it. I meant those lessons I taught Sasuke about how horrible it was to be the best sometimes. But…Luffy is right, pacifism is a two-way street, and my obsession with manipulating events to fix things in the least violent way possible…trying to control Sasuke…killing my family to prevent a civil war…all it did was make things worse. Despite my hatred for battle, I think I always knew the reality of the world. Pacifism only means something…if both sides are ready to accept it. So until then, I must be ready to use all my might…and accumulate even more if necessary."

"Monkey D. Luffy!" Itachi yelled into the cloud. "Whether you are alive in there or not, I hope you know that words cannot express how grateful I am of you. You taught me a lesson I never knew I needed. Your intellect leaves much to be desired…and yet you have a wisdom about you that I cannot deny. I hope you know that I'm grateful…and that I hope you are alive so that you can continue teaching me…that I can continue to grow more!"

The smoke then cleared, revealing that Luffy was nowhere to be seen. Itachi was briefly saddened at the thought of having killed the only person to give him true joy in a fight, but then realized there was no indication of a scorched body anywhere. There should have been something that indicated his remains. And yet there was nothing.

"I see," Itachi realized what had happened, "well I don't think I can blame him for retreating for now. He probably feels a bit overwhelmed after what's happened. He needs time to think his next move through. I suppose I can be patient."

"Then again…I suppose I should return to Kisame and help him in defending the barrier's power source. No, he can handle himself, and I'm sure he'd just get annoyed with me for muscling in on his fun. Of course, if I just ordered him to allow me to aid him, he'd listen like always. But, I'm feeling very generous today."

Itachi sat in a meditative position. "I wonder if I can find Luffy's location with Observation Haki? That should be possible, right? This is all still so new to me." Itachi mused as he closed his eyes.

Meanwhile, Luffy had indeed fled Itachi to collect his thoughts. "This is insane," Luffy could not believe what he was experiencing. For the first time in a long time, he was honestly a bit frightened of his opponent. He had not been this intimidated by an opponent for such a long time. Even Zeref did not scare him this much. Of course, he was more pissed than scared of Zeref. Itachi though was a different story.

"He only just gained Haki…how could he be so good at it?"

 **"He's something else, isn't he?"** Son spoke up. **"The Uchiha have battle instincts that surpass most…but Itachi Uchiha…a lot of stories of that one. And it's a bit frightening to know they're all true."**

Luffy took a deep breath to collect his thoughts. **"So what do you plan to do, Luffy?"** Son asked curiously.

Luffy managed to compose himself and shook his head. "I really am as dumb as Nami says, Rayleigh warned me about guys like Itachi, and I didn't take him seriously until now." He lamented.

 **"Oh?"**

"This is the next level of Observation Haki…the ability to see the future. He's already reached the level where he can see the future. It's insane." Luffy said.

 **"I see, is there anyway to counter it?"** Son asked.

"Nobody's unbeatable, I'm just going to have to figure it out myself." Luffy admitted.

Luffy then found himself thinking back to a conversation he had with Chitsujo after their…ahem…sparring match. It was actually about this very thing.

 _"Hey, Chitsujo, do you have any tips on how to get stronger?"_ Luffy had asked.

 _"I suppose I can give you this one for free."_ Chitsujo had smiled and responded. _"If you had continued on your current path, you would've had the chance to come across someone like this. Someone who can see the future with Observation Haki."_

 _"Really? Rayleigh had mentioned something like that."_

 _"It's a sight to see, and you would've definitely grown stronger going up against someone like him."_ Chitsujo continued. _"The key to improving Haki is to constantly push past your limits, fighting opponents with superior Haki. And on the path you were traveling, you would've definitely continued to meet opponents like that."_

 _"I see…"_

Chitsujo the smiled at and reassured him. _"Don't worry though, Luffy, with the way things are going, you'll continue to get stronger. Just keep pushing yourself, push your Haki, and you'll eventually grow the same way you would've had you continued sailing through the New World."_

Luffy sighed. "There's only one thing I can do, Son." Luffy told him.

 **"Oh, and what's that?"**

"I'm going back to fight Itachi. And I'm going to take every hit I need in order to push myself even further beyond my limits."

 **"That is very reckless, you know."** Son told him.

"I know, but it's the only way I know how to get stronger on the spot." Luffy admitted. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right."

 **"Luffy, he has an answer to all your moves, now that he can see the future."**

"He grew stronger from fighting me, Son, so I'm going to do the same." Luffy vowed. "I want to fight him at his best. I want him to give me everything he's got…"

"…So that I can see the future like he now can!"

Meanwhile, five individuals were panting in exhaustion as they stared down Kisame Hoshigaki. It should have been easy. It was a five-on-one fight after Freed Justine and Mashirō Kuna joined the fray. And yet, Kisame had managed to hold every last one of them at bay with that damn sword of his. Even worse, he was using it to actually drain them of their own power, leaving them all on the brink.

Combine that with his immensely destructive Water Style Ninjutsu, and they had a recipe for a giant upset, with Kisame of all people being the underdog, and them being the heavily favored ones.

Uryū was the first to take note of how bad their situation was. _I'm glad we're all still alive…but how the hell are we supposed to beat a monster like this guy? He absorbs everything we throw at him…and then hits us with techniques just as hard as our own. If he lands a few direct hits on us, we're all doomed…especially with how tired we are._

Laxus then gave Kisame a confident smirk. "You know something, Shark Boy?" He taunted. "I'm really glad we're here on Raijin Island!"

"Huh?" Kisame looked very confused at Laxus' statement.

Then, as lightning flashed across the sky. Laxus smirked as the lightning all came down towards him simultaneously. He opened his mouth wide as he then devoured all of the lightning. Kisame's eyes widened, realizing what was going on. "Oh you have got to be kidding me." He groaned.

Laxus smirked. "I'm not done yet!" He yelled, rocketing towards Kisame, shrouded in a cloak of lightning.

"Did that lightning fry his brain or something!" Uryū Ishida exclaimed. "He can't fight that guy directly!"

"No way, Laxus wouldn't fight so recklessly if he didn't have a plan!" Freed Justine defended his leader and friend.

Kisame grinned. "Well, well, we've got a feisty one!" He giddily noted. "Fine then, I'll just keep on knocking you back down until you stop getting up!"

Kisame swung his blade at Laxus, only for Laxus to do something that surprised everyone present. The shroud of lightning that enveloped his body suddenly vanished, and Laxus used the momentum to actually slide underneath Kisame's swing. Kisame's eyes widened again. "Oh no…" he muttered.

"Lightning Dragon Iron Fist!" Laxus yelled, charging up his fist with electricity and then striking Kisame in the stomach with a mighty blow that pushed him back fifty yards.

Kisame grunted in pain as a bit of blood flew from his mouth. "Just as I thought," Laxus grinned, "you may be deceptively fast for your size, but there's still a brief period of time where you leave yourself open, which allows us to get inside the range of that energy-draining sword of yours and wail on you with powerful attacks."

Kisame panted as he collected himself. That had been one hell of a punch. "I see," he could not help but grin, genuinely impressed with Laxus, "and you're fast enough to take advantage of that opening."

"Damn," Laxus was surprised at what he was seeing, "you shrugged off my Iron Fist just like that? You really are strong."

"Well, what can I say, I've gone by some very powerful nicknames in my life." Kisame noted. "The Monster of the Hidden Mist…the Tailless Tailed Beast…what kind of man, no, what kind of monster would I be if I couldn't live up to those titles, hmm?"

"Yeah, I guess that's true." Laxus agreed. "Why don't I show you the strength I use to live up to everything I've got behind me?"

Laxus looked over his shoulder. "You guys stay back, I've got this." He told them.

"Hey, Laxus!" Uryū called out to him, with Laxus ignoring him.

With that, Laxus began speeding around, shrouded in lightning, to confuse Kisame. Kisame's eyes widened briefly. "Damn it, he's all over the place." The shark man growled.

 _But I have one fact on my side, as long as I've got my blade with me, he won't be able to attack with any ranged magic attacks. He'll just be wasting energy. And that means I need to be ready for him coming towards me instead!_

However, Laxus was picking up momentum, and that meant he was also picking up speed. That meant that Kisame would be unable to follow his movements at the rate things were going, something Laxus took full advantage of the first chance he got. He was suddenly in front of Kisame before he could even react.

"Lightning Dragon Jaw!" Laxus yelled, bringing his fists together and slamming them onto the ninjas forehead.

"Urgh!" Kisame yelled in pain.

Freed could not help but smile at his leaders actions. _As reckless as always._ He mused.

Kisame recovered and gave Laxus a confident smirk. "I can already tell you're going to be quite the annoyance from here on out." He mused.

"That's me in a nutshell, just ask my grandpa." Laxus grinned.

Meanwhile, Monkey D. Luffy returned to his own battlefield, much to the glee of Itachi Uchiha. "So you have returned, Luffy?" Itachi was happy to see this. "Does that mean you intend to finish this fight?"

"Hell yeah," Luffy gave Itachi a determined gaze, "you have a power I want to master. And the only way for me to master that power, is to keep fighting until one of us is the victor."

"And let me be clear, Itachi, that victor is going to be me!"

"Oh, is that so?" Itachi smirked. "Not that I doubt your strength or disbelieve your ability to grow at a remarkable rate, but you surely can't expect to reach the level I'm at now so quickly."

"In every fight I've had to win, I've pulled through, simply because those were fights I had to win." Luffy claimed. "And this is one of those fights. If I can't beat you, Itachi, I might as well stop sailing."

"Don't be so extreme." Itachi criticized. "You should be satisfied with your current level of power."

"I won't," Luffy shook his head, "because strength is only as limited as you allow it. In order to achieve my dream…I have to keep climbing higher and higher. Itachi, one way or another, I'm going to surpass you…for the sake of my dream, and for the sake of my friends, who are fighting so hard to save the universe."

Itachi gazed at Luffy, taking in the look of sheer determination in his eyes. _I see, there's nothing I can do when someone looks at me like that. That's the look of a man who's resolved himself. I've seen that look so many times in Naruto and Sasuke. Even Orochimaru had that look when he tried to possess my body._

Itachi smiled. "Then…you won't blame me if I decide to try a little harder in this fight, and really let loose." He noted.

"Hell no, if I'm going to reach your level, I need you at your best. Give me everything you've got, Itachi, because I sure as hell ain't going anywhere!" Luffy announced.

Itachi nodded in understanding. "Just remember, this is what you asked for." Itachi told him. "My apologies, I'm still not fond of causing pain. Even so, do not blame me if you _really_ get hurt now."

"Are you kidding? If I do get hurt in this fight, it's my own fault for not being good enough."

And with that, the two vanished into slipstreams once more, and the fight resumed. "Gum Gum Hawk Gatling!" Luffy quickly went on the offensive and fired his gatling attack at close range to try and test the limits of Itachi's newfound abilities to see the future.

"Not good enough!" Itachi declared, avoiding each attack with ease, having 'seen' them all coming ahead of time.

"Why don't I show you something a bit like your own Gatling, but better?" Itachi grinned, Speeding through the required Hand Signs. "Earth Style: Thousand Welcoming Hands!"

 **"Did he create a Jutsu based on the First Hokage's Wood Style?"** Son was stunned at the implications of such genius being forcefully used for evil.

Luffy watched in shock as a thousand hands made of stone came out of the ground, speeding towards him. _Okay,_ he thought to himself, _push your Observation Haki…try to see the future…if Itachi can do it, you can too._

Trying to figure out where each attack was coming from before it came, Luffy attempted to avoid Itachi's assault. He managed to avoid the first few, thanks to his skills in Observation Haki already. However, he found that at his current level, he could not avoid Itachi's Thousand Welcoming Hands and was assaulted by stone palms.

The Straw Hat Captain was briefly pushed back by the assault, only to immediately recover and attempt to charge Itachi once more. Itachi frowned slightly. _He was never one for tactics before, from what the reports told me…but now it appears he has abandoned strategy all together._

 _Is he trying to force his Haki to grow to a level mine has? A reckless strategy…but perhaps he knows that the only way he's going to stand a chance as this war goes on is to surpass his own limits again and again?_

 _Either way, I am not done improving either. I will continue to grow stronger, and the only way to do so…is to continue fighting this young man._

"Not done yet!" Luffy declared.

"Neither am I!" Itachi shot back.

"Gum Gum Hawk Rifle!" Luffy yelled, attacking Itachi once more with a rifle attack.

Itachi easily ducked underneath the attack. "Wind Style: Holy Gust!" The enhanced version of Great Breakthrough, whereas Great Breakthrough was meant for scattering large crowds, Holy Gust was a purely offensive jutsu that could shatter the bones of anyone unlucky enough to be caught in it.

Luffy sensed for the motions of the gusts once more, trying once more to see into the future. Wind could be sensed if it was being used for an attack like this.

Luffy then spun around and avoided a few powerful gusts of wind, much to the glee of Itachi, who was very happy to see his new rival standing tall against his might. However, Luffy was then pushed backwards by a particularly powerful gust of wind. Luffy's eyes bulged from the pain. He could feel his bones creaking from the blast, as though they were ready to give out and shatter at any moment.

However, Luffy fought through the pain he was in and attacked Itachi once more. **"Luffy this is reckless!"** Son chided him. **"You can't beat Itachi like this!"**

 _"I don't want to beat him, I want to surpass him!"_ Luffy declared to his Tailed Beast.

"Gum Gum Eagle Bazooka!" Luffy fired his bazooka at Zeref.

"Now you're just making it too obvious!" Itachi yelled, jumping over the bazooka attack.

 _Is he fighting so recklessly to force me to attack him constantly? Interesting, so he is trying to grow his Observation Haki on the spot. It's definitely reckless, but there is a benefit to it…okay, Luffy, I think I will follow your lead for a bit. Let's follow this road for as long as we can!_

And so, the two continued this dance between themselves. Luffy would throw another attack at Itachi, Itachi would easily dodge the attack and then counter with a move of his own. Luffy would try to see into the future, only to take blow after blow in spite of avoiding the first few attacks.

However, Luffy refused to back down. He knew this was necessary. He had to endure it all. He had to press on. Otherwise, he would have no chance against Konton when that fateful day finally arrived.

As the two continued this ritual, Son watched Luffy from his mind with a look of concern for his new Jinchūriki. _**Luffy…I hope you know that the reason I criticize this plan is because I worry for you, my friend.**_ Son thought to himself. _**I know that you're right to do this…being sealed inside of Rōshi, I had the misfortune of being exposed to the monsters you will have to fight in order to win this war.**_

 _ **Luffy, they far surpass Itachi in strength. You, and all your friends need to be much stronger in order to survive. And so, while I can't stand watching you hurt yourself while fighting so recklessly, as your Tailed Beast and friend, I will support your every move. I am also a part of your crew now, after all.**_

"Earth Style: Thousand Welcoming Hands!" Itachi fired at Luffy with his powerful Earth Style technique once more.

Luffy closed his eyes, trying to see the future once more. Itachi narrowed his, wondering if Luffy was starting to improve. _This technique allows the user to test their ability to 'see' the most._ Itachi noted to himself. _Let's see if you've improved, Luffy._

Luffy began to dodge the attacks. Then, as this new dance went on, his eyes widened inwardly as he began to notice something. _One hand will be coming towards my head after this. Another will be trying to sweep the leg after two hit me in the stomach…whoa, I can see it…I can see it all…_

Luffy avoided each of those hands, much to the amazement of Itachi. _He's starting to see the future, like me._

Luffy was then smacked in the face by one of the final hands. _Actually…it looks like it's still not perfected just yet._ Itachi deadpanned.

 _Haven't gotten it right just yet…but I'm close!_ Luffy realized.

 _Impressive though,_ Itachi smiled, _when he realized how much I had grown, he immediately put himself in a situation that would force him to grow to the same level I was at. It appears Observation Haki grows when you put yourself in particularly dangerous situations, like fighting a strong opponent. Monkey D. Luffy…you are truly something else._

"Gum Gum Hawk Rifle!" Luffy suddenly recovered and drilled Itachi in the stomach once more with a powerful rifle attack.

Itachi grunted in pain. "What happened to that future sight, Itachi?" Luffy demanded. "Or did you lose focus on your Haki for just a brief moment?"

"Oh, I see." Itachi wiped some blood from his lip. "So Haki really does require constant concentration…especially if it's to see the future."

"You're not invincible!" Luffy declared.

"I never said I was." Itachi shrugged. "But while I'm not invincible, I'm definitely now serious. Since you've made me grow in strength…and I've done the same for you…"

Itachi's Sharingan suddenly changed. "…It's only fair I go all out now, and see if we can still grow together!"

 **"Luffy! His Chakra's increased! He's using his Mangekyō Sharingan!"** Son warned his vessel.

 _"Mangekyō what?"_ Luffy responded.

 **"You've seen Sharingan users like Sasuke and Kakashi, how do you not know that is by now?"** Son asked in exasperation. **"Gah, whatever, just be careful. It may be time to abandon your plan for the time being and just focus on surviving. The techniques the Mangekyō Sharingan has at its disposal are dangerous. Only the strongest Uchiha, who are willing to sacrifice anything, can wield its might."**

 _"Yeah, that's not going to happen."_ Luffy shrugged.

 **"Okay now you're just being stubborn."** Son growled.

 _"Where's your faith in me, Son? Taking on dangerous guys and their dangerous techniques…I've been doing that since I came to the Grand Line!"_

"Let's see how well you handle this Luffy." Itachi said, wincing slightly from the pain in his eye. "Amaterasu!"

Luffy's eyes then went wide. At that very moment, his Observation Haki subconsciously reacted to the massive danger from the black flames of the Amaterasu. However, not only did it react, it gave Luffy a vision into the future, a vision where he would be incinerated; dying a most horrifying and painful death at the hands of the Uchiha.

Luffy reacted quickly, he jumped into the air just as the area around him was covered in black flames. "Whoa, I can feel the heat from here!" Luffy exclaimed.

Itachi gazed at the spot where Luffy had been in disbelief. _It can't be…the Amaterasu flames are instantaneous, they ignite as soon as the Mangekyō Sharingan eye is trained on the target…he should not have been able to dodge them…not when he had no knowledge of them at first._

 _No…could he be able to see into the future now?_ Itachi wondered.

Luffy seemed to realize what had happened as well. "Whoa…that vision, hey Son, I think I can see the future now." He said, surprisingly calm, when he should be jumping for joy like a lunatic in excitement.

 **"DON'T SOUND SO CALM ABOUT IT NOW!"** Son screamed.

Itachi could not help but smile. "You know, I can't really get over how fast you Acts of Order grow. It's amazing."

Itachi trained his eyes on Luffy once more, trying to incinerate him again. Luffy grinned happily. "Sorry, Itachi, but you won't catch me anymore!" He announced, stretching his arm out and grabbing a nearby branch, pulling away as soon as the black flames appeared.

"Yep, it's official, you can definitely see the future now." Itachi smirked. "Congratulations, Luffy, you surpassed your limits, and now you can see the future with Observation Haki."

Luffy landed and smirked. "And it feels real good. I haven't felt this good since I first learned Haki from Rayleigh."

"I understand, there are fewer things more satisfying than accomplishing something with your own power." Itachi said. "Be proud, Luffy, you have achieved something wonderful today."

 **"…I just cannot get over how oddly pleasant you two are with each other."** Son admitted.

"Well, since we're both at the same level now, how about we really go all out." Luffy suggested, bringing his forearm up to his mouth. "After all, there's no reason to hold back anymore, right?"

"Oh, there is still more you have to show me? Consider me excited." Itachi said. "Show me more, Luffy. I want to memorize it all with my Sharingan."

"Then get it all memorized, Itachi." Luffy told him. "Because this is going to be the form I kick your ass in. Muscle Balloon!"

Itachi watched in interest as Luffy inflated his body to become larger and more muscular. "Fourth Gear: Bounce Man!" Luffy yelled.

Itachi smirked. "Fourth Gear? Consider me intrigued. I had heard stories of this mighty form of yours…but I must admit the stories don't do it justice."

Luffy did not respond. He simply bounced towards Itachi, rocketing forward with tremendous force. "Amaterasu!" Itachi yelled, igniting the area in front of him on fire, only for Luffy to speed through the flames with ease before they could even touch him.

 _Fast!_ Itachi thought frantically.

That brief second, where Itachi's concentration lapsed, was what Luffy needed to take advantage and land a direct attack. "Gum Gum Kong Gun!" Luffy yelled, landing a direct hit on Itachi's stomach, sending the Uchiha prodigy flying backwards.

"UGH!" Itachi grunted in pain, skidding across the ground on his back.

"Just as I thought," Luffy said, "there is a limit to the power of seeing the future. Rayleigh stressed concentration with Observation Haki, but when it became like second nature to me, I didn't give it much thought. But now I see why. When your concentration slips for whatever reason, you can't see the future anymore!"

Luffy rocketed towards Itachi. "Which means as long as I've got you all worked up…I can kick your ass all I want!" Luffy declared. "Gum Gum Rhino Schneider!"

Luffy slammed his enlarged feet into Itachi, creating a massive crater around him. Itachi closed his eyes from the pain. Luffy rocketed upwards to put some distance between the two of them, just in case Itachi had something to counterattack with.

Itachi got to his feet. "Splendid…absolutely splendid," he complimented, "Monkey D. Luffy, you are a credit to your crew, your allies, your army, and your family name."

"You're right…it seems that my lapses in concentration made me vulnerable. You'll have to forgive me, I'm still trying to get used to these new powers of mine. And I'm definitely not used to people avoiding the Amaterasu with such ease. It is a bit of a shock to the system. Heh, I guess I can't hide the fact that deep down, I inherited just a little bit of my father's pride."

Itachi took a deep breath, regaining his composure. "In the end, it appears I need to work to find my center. It may not seem like it, but I am every bit as passionate as the rest of my clan was…and that can be dangerous when trying to stay calm and use my new Haki."

"Of course, that won't mean much to you now. This Fourth Gear of yours…I'm afraid as I am now, there's not much I can do. I've adjusted my body to your speed, but Fourth Gear takes it to a completely different level. And even if I avoid all your attacks, I don't think you'll run out of steam any time soon, thanks to the Four Tails inside of you."

"That puts us in a stalemate," Itachi continued, "and I'm afraid I can't have that."

"You're right, neither of us want a stalemate." Luffy noted. "We both want to win. So what happens now, Itachi?"

Itachi chuckled. "Well…the answer to that is quite simple, Luffy. Since you decided to go all out…I'm going to return the favor and do the same! Feast your eyes on my trump card! Come forth, Susanōō!"

At that moment, a giant suit of armor surrounded the Uchiha Slayer. Itachi had completed the ultimate technique. "I truly had fun, Luffy. And now that we've revealed our trump cards, it is time for this battle to come to an end." Itachi announced.

"Yeah, I had fun too." Luffy admitted. "So what do you say that we end this fight with a bang? Huh?"

Itachi grinned, bringing back the giant fist of Susanōō. Then, much to Luffy's surprise, the fist blackened with Armament Haki. "He figured out how to channel his Haki into that giant armor's body?" Luffy was surprised for a brief moment before grinning. "Cool!"

 **"He really is something."** Son muttered, truly respecting Itachi.

Luffy then inflated his already enlarged arms even further. "Let's do this, Itachi. You better give me everything you've got, or I'm going to be pissed."

Itachi grinned. "I was about to say the same to you? Luffy…I want to see you again. Let's have a rematch in the future."

"Gum Gum," Luffy began, bringing back his now larger fist, "King Kong…"

"Susanōō…" Itachi began as well.

"GUN!" Luffy yelled, firing his giant fist forward.

"Ama no Iwato!" Itachi yelled, directing his Susanōō to throw its fist forward.

And with that, the two mighty attacks collided. Neither gave an inch as the resulting impact created a mighty shockwave that not only uprooted the ruined trees around them, but even simulated an earthquake that was felt across the island.

"What's happening?" Anko Mitarashi wondered. "Is the whole damn island shaking?"

"What the hell was that?" Uryū Ishida demanded in disbelief. "Was that the result of someone's attack?"

Kisame Hoshigaki laughed, knowing who was partially responsible for what just happened. "Who knew Itachi could be such a crazy battle freak when the situation demanded it. I'm not sure how I feel about that. That is usually my job." He joked. "He's supposed to be the reasonable one between the two of us."

"Well, Laxus," Kisame turned his attention back to Laxus Dreyar, "let's end this, kay? If Itachi's that serious, as his partner, I can't afford to be slacking off. You understand, right?"

"I couldn't agree more." A new voice joined the conversation. "Let's end this. Veinte Fleur!"

Kisame gasped as he was suddenly restrained by twenty hands sprouting on his body. "The hell is this?" Kisame demanded.

"Since ninja like you, fight sneakily, you shouldn't complain about us being willing to do what it takes to win." Nico Robin pointed out, making her presence known.

Kisame laughed in spite of his situation, managing to find humor in the fact that he had been caught. "No problem, I'm not the type to hold a grudge over this kind of stuff." He claimed.

"Still, do you honestly think this will hold me? I'm physically the Akatsuki's strongest member. Twenty hands are not going to hold me down, sweetheart."

Robin just smiled. "You say that like I need to hold you prisoner for eternity. I'm not trying to make you my prisoner, Mr. Shark Man." She claimed.

"Then what're you trying to do?" Kisame asked.

"Well, for starters, you know we work in pairs here, right?" Robin asked.

At that moment, Kisame's eyes went wide and tried to wrench himself free from Robin's grip. For a brief second, due to his surprise, Kisame was unable to instantly break free from Robin's grip. That moment of shock and struggle was all it took…for Samui to speed right by Kisame, katana drawn.

Samui knew that if she charged Kisame and attempted to take his head, he would immediately react, break free, and kill her. So, she instead focused on why the Alliance was on Raijin Island in the first place: the power source for that barrier.

"I won't let you!" Kisame yelled as he began to break free from Robin's grip.

"And _I_ won't let _you_!" Laxus claimed. "Robin, now!"

Robin nodded and removed her many hands from Kisame. Kisame stumbled a bit, due to being suddenly let go, like he had been playing tug of war with people who suddenly let go of the rope. That moment was all it took for Laxus to get in one final hit of his own.

"Lightning Dragon Heavenward Halberd!" He yelled, throwing a powerful bolt of lightning at the Rogue Shinobi.

Kisame could only yell in pain as he was struck dead on by Laxus's lightning. The shark man was forced to his knees, much to the glee of Freed Justine. "You're the best like always, Laxus!" Freed claimed.

Laxus ignored Freed's gushing and glared at Kisame. "It's over." He claimed.

Kisame growled, cursing his mistakes. He then regained his composure and chuckled. "Well, I do when to fold 'em." He claimed. "You're right, Laxus, it is over."

Kisame then grinned maliciously at his entire audience. "But there's plenty of war left to fight! Next time we meet, I'm going to rip you all apart!"

With that, Kisame vanished, retreating from the fight. Laxus heaved a sigh and sank onto his rear. "That guy was something." He muttered. "And his Chakra Levels were insane."

"At least he's gone." Neliel Tu Odelschwanck offered.

"Yeah…and he's coming back." Laxus noted.

Meanwhile, Luffy and Itachi were pushed back by the force of their respective attacks, feeling both of them. "Ow…that freaking hurt." Luffy groaned.

Itachi winced. He too had felt that one, even though neither had landed a direct hit. He then noticed something odd. "Strange, Kisame's Chakra Signature vanished. He's not dead. I'd have noticed it sooner." He noted. "So he must've retreated…interesting, that's not like him."

Itachi realized at that moment what had happened. "So, even he knew to retreat now that the situation has become hopeless, eh?" He mused.

Itachi then smiled lightly at Luffy. His Susanōō vanished around him. "You can leave Fourth Gear, Luffy. It appears your allies are about to destroy the barrier's power source. That means there is no reason for me to stay here."

Luffy immediately believed Itachi—much to Son's exasperation—and exited Fourth Gear. Itachi then began fading into darkness. "I mean it Luffy," he said, "I want to see you again, fight you again. So keep getting stronger."

"I know I will." Itachi promised as he faded away completely.

Luffy nodded. "Don't worry, I'm going to be even stronger the next time we fight." Luffy said. "I'll keep pushing past my limits, you hear me?"

Meanwhile, Samui reached the barrier's power source. It was a simple machine with a purple light surrounding it. "That's definitely it," Samui muttered in a very matter of fact tone, drawing her katana.

"Cloud Style: Lightning Style: Thunderclap!" Samui yelled, rapidly swinging her blade, sending an arc of lightning that collided with the machine.

The machine sputtered. The light briefly grew more intense. Then, just as quickly, the machine exploded, much to Samui's relief.

"Damn glad that's over with," she muttered, before blushing, "now…how am I going to ask Luffy to dinner?"

It was indeed over for the 2nd Fleet on Raijin Island…but what was happening on Risky Red Island and Mystoria Island? Let's find out…


	12. Chapter 12: No Risk, No Reward

**A.N: Whew, boy, Happy 2019 folks. Who wants to hear how stressful December was? No? Well, too bad, you're gonna hear about it. I got sick for the first third of the month. I had a wedding in Seattle to go to. And then I spent Christmas with relatives. Between this and my job, it's a damn good thing I do this monthly thing, and that I write when I'm inspired. I would never be able to handle this much on a weekly basis and focusing on only one story, because I'll eventually get writer's block. And when that happens, I need to be able to turn my attention to something else. So, what did I focus on this month? Well, obviously a new chapter for the One Piece Campaign. And...I may have went a little crazy on The War of Discoveries Prologue. I wrote like 3 chapters for it. For everyone who was hoping to see a new chapter for Wild Hunt and the Multiverse Tournament, I promise, I'm working on those, I'm just struggling with writer's block for those two. You know, something every writer gets on occasion.**

 **Well, let's kick off 2019 with some fun! Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 12: No Risk, No Reward**

While the 2nd Fleet claimed victory on Raijin Island, the 3rd Fleet began their assault on Risky Red Island. Much like with the 2nd Fleet, they too wanted to face off against their foes with a smaller force. Also like the 2nd Fleet, this was due to Risky Red Island being known for being extraordinarily dangerous. Raijin Island had its horrifying weather patterns. Risky Red Island, however, was a death trap because of its terrain.

Moving in with the entire 3rd Fleet was simply asking for trouble. Kakashi Hatake refused to risk more lives than necessary when a smaller force could do just as much. Instead, there was a small force launching the attack on Risky Red Island. Kakashi knew that the enemy had the same thought process as him. The Coalition may not give a damn about their allies, but they definitely did not want their people to die because of stupid reasons. And a bunch of their soldiers dying because there was just no room for them all to stand on the terrain that is actually safe was definitely a stupid reason to die.

So, in other words, moving in with a small force made sense to Kakashi, for multiple reasons. Not only was it safe for his men, but he was also positive that they would not be outnumbered and decimated almost instantly.

And so, small ships were being sailed speedily towards the shore of Risky Red Island. Natsu Dragneel groaned in pain as he remained hunched over the edge of his particular ship. "I hate my life." He groaned in pain.

Lisanna Strauss giggled slightly at Natsu's behavior as she rubbed his back, trying her best to alleviate the sickness and pain. "There, there," she tried to soothe him.

Mirajane Strauss giggled as well, not able to help her amusement at Natsu's wretched state. "Even when sick and about to lose his lunch, Natsu still looks so cute." She admitted. "He looks like an adorable child you just want to take care of and spoil."

Gray Fullbuster gazed at Natsu in disbelief. "Even I can't help but feel bad for him. The poor bastard's going to be miserable this entire campaign unless we're out on the battlefield fighting. It's kinda depressing in a way."

Natsu then vomited over the side of the ship. Lucy Heartfiila found herself growing nauseous from the sound. "Oh you've got to be kidding me." She groaned. "All these times where I've seen him get sick and suddenly I can't handle it?"

"Perhaps it's because it's gotten so bad now, even you can't handle the sight." Mirajane suggested.

"Well, regardless, I'm going to be glad to get on shore and into the fight…I can't believe I just admitted that." Lucy sighed.

On a different ship, Rock Lee and Might Guy could not contain their excitement…well, Lee could not. Guy, as usual, was simply sick to his stomach. There were…other things that Guy could not contain. So, Lee did his best to show enough energy for the both of them. "Finally!" Lee cheered. "After days of sailing we have reached our destination! And now, as soldiers of the Allied Forces, we will burn our foes down with our amazing Flames of YOUTH!"

"…So I guess the element of surprise is out the window, huh?" Kiba Inuzuka sarcastically muttered.

Akamaru simply whined in agreement. "I wish he wouldn't yell." Kuromaru growled. "I have sensitive ears, you know."

Tsume Inuzuka sighed. "Yeah, I know boy." She said sympathetically. "But Guy and his demented offspring never shut up. We should just be glad that at least one of them got his ass kicked by the sea."

"Hey, Kakashi," Tsume turned to the 3rd Fleet Commander, "why did you bring them along anyway?"

Kakashi sighed and shut his book. "Well," he said, "forgive me if this sounds a bit offensive to you, but I'm throwing the dog a bone here. Guy's been as miserable as poor Natsu has because of his sea-sickness. I just figured he would want to get off the ship and get some exercise in."

Tsume grinned at Kakashi's reasoning. "As usual, you're actually a pretty nice guy, Kakashi." She joked.

"I'm just oozing with kindness." Kakashi joked with an eye-smile.

"So, anyway, you're absolutely sure that attacking this island with such a small force is a good idea?" Tsume just wanted to make sure.

"It's the safest plan I've got." Kakashi admitted. "The simple fact is, the more people we bring to Risky Red, the more unnecessary danger we're put in. This island's terrain is just not meant to handle that many troops on it at once, and the Coalition knows that as well."

"And what if you're wrong?" Tsume asked.

"Well, to take a more crude answer," Kakashi responded, "we'll just kick their asses if I'm wrong. I believe we'll win regardless."

"Sheesh, you used to be more of a realist, Kakashi, and now look at you." Tsume grinned. "Who knew finally passing a team and making them your Genin students would turn you into a big softie."

Kakashi chuckled. "Just ask them and they'd disagree. I was no softie when it came to making sure they could survive."

"Well, I can't argue with the results. In spite of everything that happened in between, your students turned out damn well, Kakashi." Tsume smiled. "At the end of the day, your pack came back to each other. You should be proud that deep down, they kept your lessons close to their hearts…even though it took a few of them a while to finally get it."

Kakashi nodded. "I am proud of them, Tsume." He admitted. "Just as I'm proud of this alliance. We've done some amazing things in our time together."

"Hell yeah, and we're going to do even more amazing things." Tsume vowed. "I'm in the same boat as you, Kakashi. We're going to kick the asses of every single Coalition jerk that's on that whacko island, regardless of how many there are."

Kakashi chuckled. "There's that Inuzuka spirit I love so much. You really do have the ferocity of a wolf, Tsume." He complimented.

 _And that ferocity was what chased Pop away._ Kiba sweat-dropped.

On a different ship, Bartolomeo laughed grandly as he stood at the bow of the ship. "Onward, men!" He yelled. "Onward in the name of the great Luffy! Natsu! Ichigo! And Naruto!"

"Usually we don't march in the name of so many at once…usually we just get behind one person or idea." A soldier muttered.

"Don't bother him, he's rolling." Another responded.

Cavendish desperately tried to take a nap before the battle officially began while Bartolomeo continued his insane ramblings. Unfortunately, Bartolomeo just seemed to have some sort of special talent for keeping him awake, no matter what. Cavendish was so irritated by Bartolomeo, that when it was first announced that Cavendish and Bartolomeo would be in the same fleet together, the Pirate Prince had almost thrown himself off the boat he was on and swam all the way back to Dressrosa.

Needless to say, they were already too far out for Cavendish to be able to properly swim back...partly because as soon as Cavendish had seen Bartolomeo, he had fainted, foaming at the mouth like a rabid animal. By the time he came to, poor Cavendish was already hearing the news of Menou's triumph over the Big Mom and Beasts Pirates.

The Shandorian, Wyper, rolled his eyes at Cavendish's behavior. "We're at war, and they still haven't started acting like it." He muttered. "At what point does all carefree behavior start being a damn burden rather than a benefit?"

Scratchmen Apoo laughed at Wyper's surprisingly depressed state. "You'd think you would've gotten used to it by now." He mused. "This isn't your average army at all."

Apoo heaved a sigh. _It's definitely a far cry from the Beasts Pirates and how things are with them. Other than Lo...Kaido's alcoholism and the Three Disasters with their...various quirks, it's definitely a no-nonsense crew. Not that that's a bad thing, different things work for different people. But...there was definitely never any soul in the Beasts Pirates. Even Drake and Hawkins felt that way, and they both did their damndest to act like they didn't care._

 _I can pretend otherwise all I want...but I honestly like being a part of this Alliance._ Apoo finally admitted to himself. _It makes me feel terrible...because like Hawkins and Drake, I was sent here to spy on them._

 _But everyone here is kind...to a fault, even. Kind to the point where a sane person would use their naivete against them. And yet...I can't do it. I can't do what I should for the man who was my boss before, because I truly like these people...I don't want to hurt them. Not after they've been so good to me...not after Lord Chitsujo has treated me so kindly in spite of knowing that I'm a spy_

 _I want to stay with them...all of them._

Jinbe took notice of Apoo's inner conflict and found himself with a mixture of relief and suspicion. _It appears his heart is truly beginning to warm…_ he mused inwardly.

Jinbe was among the officers of the Allied Forces who were aware of the truth revolving around Apoo and many pirates from Luffy's generation, the Worst Generation. The truth that they were spying for Kaido and Big Mom. Like a lot of the Allied Forces who were privy to the truth, Jinbe was admittedly uncertain of allowing them to have so much freedom even though by all intents and purposes they were still spies who could pose a tremendous threat to the Alliance. However, Chitsujo had earned his trust, so he held his peace.

And, Jinbe was a skilled tactician in his own right. The plans he had to escape Whole Cake Island when the Straw Hats eventually came their way. The percentage of success was pretty high, considering the people they were trying to escape from were the Big Mom Pirates. He knew the strategic value in keeping the spies close as allies. The reasoning was fantastic. Keep your spies on a short leash, and make sure they only give their handlers the information you want them to.

Needless to say, Jinbe never wanted to be on Chitsujo's bad side. And he was glad that they were allies. Jinbe then remembered something Chitsujo had promised him. _"Once the World Government has fallen, the world will need to rally around a new government. Or rather a union between independent nations. Dragon will take the lead there. I trust him to do a good job. I also trust him to do something I myself had wanted to see happen to your world one day."_

" _I want to see the Fishmen have a seat at the table in world affairs."_

" _Do you really mean that, Sir?" Jinbe had inquired._

 _"Jinbe, I am no god, and I am certainly no liar. What I desire more than anything is to see the universe at peace. And part of that is making sure every man has a say in his own fate, regardless of race. I can't promise that our efforts will erase the racism your people have experienced."_

 _"Nor should you, hatred will always exist. The only question is how much there will be." Jinbe reminded the king. "Never feel like you have to eradicate it, only contain it. Eradication...can lead to some dangerous methods. I know this better than anyone."_

 _Chitsujo nodded in understanding. "Indeed." He said simply._

 _Chitsujo then smiled. "But I can promise you that both Dragon and myself will do everything in our power to make sure that the Fishman are elevated on the political stage to have a say in your world. Healing does not only begin with trust. It also begins with simply listening and trying harder to understand each other."_

 _"Even if we disagree, even if the process is slow, and even if we stall. We'll keep trying, because we're all family. That is what I promise you, Jinbe."_

 _His wisdom is truly...something._ Jinbe thought to himself. _I'm always so hesitant to put people on a pedestal because of the world we live in. I didn't even put Whitebeard on a pedestal. I knew he wouldn't like it if I did._

 _But Lord Chitsujo...his wisdom is the wisdom of a man who has several millennia worth of experience. Even if we can't fully erase hatred...we can try harder as many times as we want to come back stronger whenever our hate overwhelms us._

 _But until we reach that point...I'm going to do everything in my power to bring forth the world that so many have fought for. Whitebeard, Queen Otohime, King Neptune, Lord Chitsujo. We have made great progress so far…I'm going to do everything in my power to make the dream a reality. This I swear upon my fists._

Finally, a boat carrying Jushiro Ukitake waded through the seas toward the shore of Risky Red Island. With him were other high-ranking Soul Reapers. They all could have certainly flown to the island, but it was far more beneficial for them to remain with the rest of the army rather than trying to show off and go it alone.

Rukia Kuchiki remained the dutiful Squad 13 Lieutenant, providing the support she thought her captain needed. "How are you feeling, sir?" She inquired. "The sea seems a bit rough today...I guess considering the risk we're taking to sail through it, that's probably why they call it Risky Red Island."

"Among many reasons." Jushiro pointed out to Rukia before giving her a smile. "But you don't have to worry about me, Rukia. I've been feeling much better since my encounter with Sir Hakuai. Like I was never sick in the first place. You've seen me in battle so far, yes?"

"I have, sir," Rukia nodded, "it is indeed like you're a completely different person in the fight now that you're healthy. I think Sentaro and Kiyone feel so useless now. They've spent their careers looking after you, and now you're healthy."

"Indeed, I feel so bad that their only purpose is gone, I'm almost tempted to make myself sick." Jushiro joked before adding warmly. "But instead, I think I will help them find different uses of their time. Perhaps encourage Kiyone to take up hobbies with her big sister? Sentaro will be a bit more difficult, but I'll think of something…"

Rojuro Otoribashi-affectionately known as Rose by his comrades-overheard Jushiro's musings and laughed. "Unfailingly kind as always, Jushiro." Rose noted. "I think that was one of the things I honestly missed the most about Soul Society during my years of exile."

"You actually missed, Soul Society, sir?" Izuru Kira sounded surprised.

"I guess we never did got around to having that little chat." Rose noted to his lieutenant. "I did miss it, Izuru. We all did. Even Hiyori, with all of her…attitude; she missed it too. Sure, we were upset at how they handled what happened to us. But in the end, we trained our rage on Aizen, waiting for the chance to get back at him."

"But make no mistake, Izuru, we truly missed being there. It was the only place we felt like we could actually make a difference. What else are eight people with incredibly high Spirit Energy supposed to do with their time, hmm?"

"I guess...I never thought of it that way." Izuru admitted. "I was wondering why you would come back to such a life."

"It's also the only life where I get to laze about playing my guitar all day." Rose added.

"And there it is." Izuru deadpanned. Yeah, the lazy, somewhat selfish reason for wanting his old life back.

"Captain Muguruma and Co-Lieutenant Kuna seem to have similar attitudes." Shuhei Hisagi noted. "Not the guitar part, mind you. But I think the captain really thinks it's the only place where he can do any real good. Lt. Kuna...well, I think she just likes following Captain Muguruma wherever he goes."

"That sounds like Kensei and Mashiro." Rose nodded in agreement without hesitation.

"Regardless of its flaws, Soul Society is still home." Shuhei noted. "And that's why...people want to fight for it. That's how you really feel, isn't it, Captain Otoribashi?"

Rose nodded. "Everything is inherently flawed in life, boys. There is nothing in this world that is perfectly beautiful. But to me, that's what makes the world truly beautiful. You see, it's the bad that highlights the good, more than anything else. It makes us appreciate the good even more. In a way, it's the bad that puts music and love in our hearts because of how it highlights the good. How can there be music about what's great about the world when it's already perfect? Music is a way of showing appreciation. And how can we appreciate something when it's perfect? We can't."

At that moment, everyone on the boat was listening to Rose's speech intently. Even Jushiro, a man with wisdom near the level of the former Head Captain Yamamoto, found himself listening. "The bad makes us appreciate the good. It's the flaws of my home that make me love and appreciate it even more. And that's why...I want to keep protecting it, until the very end."

Rose smiled. "And that's why I can truly sympathize with all the people who have lost their homes to the Coalition. As such, I'm going to fight with all of my strength to win back their homes. I'm tired of the Coalition having their way. Those who appreciate the universe around them so little do not deserve to possess it."

"Here here," Shuhei nodded in agreement.

"As this war drags on, there will be little doubt in my mind that there are plenty who will question why we are fighting and dying for the homes of others." Rose noted. "But to that I say: it's because our allies are willing to die for their homes. The love they have for their homes...how can I stand by and allow them to fight alone?"

"You can't, and I won't either." Rukia nodded. "I lived so much of my afterlife trying to survive day to day. To me, it was hard to find something worth fighting and dying for...because my life often seemed so worthless. Never mind the fact that the world itself did not seem worth dying for."

"But becoming a Soul Reaper with Renji...serving under Lieutenant Kaien...then fighting with Ichigo and the others...it taught me to cherish and appreciate the good in the world. And you know what? There's plenty of good in it. And plenty of good people who are willing to fight for their piece of it. So...I'm going to fight too, for as long as I can manage."

Jushiro then added his own two cents to conclude this rousing, heartfelt speech. "In the end, what unites us is that love. And that love is what makes this war worth fighting and dying for. Never forget that our unity has made us more than allies. Dare I say it, we have become like family."

"Hell of an extended family." Rose joked.

Jushiro laughed. "Hell of an extended family indeed."

"Captain Ukitake!" The helmsmen called out. "We are close to the shores of Risky Red Island!"

Jushiro nodded. "Steel yourselves men," he addressed his troops one more time, "fight with all your strength. Fight for your allies, who give their all for the homes they've lost."

Meanwhile, on Risky Red Island, there was a large cliff that sat as the island's highest point. And at the edge of the cliff, casually sat the inexplicably bandaged-up, eyebrowless ninja-swordsman known as Zabuza Momochi gazed at the approaching ships through binoculars. "Finally, some action." He muttered.

Zabuza then called to his partner. "Haku!" He yelled. "Get ready, our friends from the Alliance are here."

Haku approached his mentor and father-figure. He took the binoculars and gazed out to sea as well. "A surprisingly small number of ships with a surprisingly small invading force." He mused. "Zabuza, do you know why that it is?"

"Same reason why there's a small detachment here, in spite of having that whacko device powering the barrier." Zabuza pointed out. "This island's a damn death trap. They call it Risky Red for a reason. Because the people who come here take a big risk, and if they're not ready, the island turns red with their blood."

"We've minimized the risk at least when we were ordered to kill off the wildlife." Haku lamented.

"Anyway," Zabuza continued, "they're being smart, like the Coalition wants to believe. But sadly, there's another reason why we were chosen."

"What's that?" Haku asked.

Zabuza sighed. "For various reasons...we're expendable assets."

Haku's face fell at this. "Not that I mind being expended by those sick bastards." Zabuza growled. "I was never a saint, but those monsters at the top make me sick."

"I couldn't agree more." Haku nodded. "The sooner someone defeats us...kills us even...the sooner we can return to the afterlife. I may be a shinobi, but I still have my pride. I don't want to be used for such sickening acts any longer, Zabuza."

Zabuza gave Haku a soft smile and ruffled the boys hair. "Neither do I, kid." He assured him. "And while we've been...coerced into growing our skills. I'm very confident that we'll still get our asses kicked at the end of the day."

"That's the first time I've heard you express confidence in such a thing." Haku joked. "What causes you to feel that way?"

"Well," Zabuza grinned beneath his bandages, "if the Alliance has people who are half the soldiers Naruto is, we've got nothing to worry about. And that's not even bringing the fact that Kakashi is also among them somewhere."

Haku smiled and nodded. "Indeed," he said, fully assured they were capable of stopping them, "as long as people who are half of what Naruto and Kakashi are...we have nothing to worry about. The Coalition will fail."

Zabuza looked beneath the large cliff and saw the movements of his "fellow" Coalition troops. "Looks like our 'friends' are already scurrying like ants." Zabuza joked. "Which means we need to get moving, too. Ready Haku?"

"Ready to lose? You bet I am." Haku smiled knowingly.

Meanwhile, Seventh Espada, Zommari Rureaux, meditated in silence. Well, he tried to meditate at least. In reality, Zommari was struggling to meditate due to his growing rage, frustration and despair. As one of the top ten Espada, Zommari had once been the cream of the crop. But now, everyone seemed to be looking down on him more and more, every single day.

Much like Zabuza and Haku, Zommari knew why had been placed on Risky Red Island. This was the "sink or swim" assignment for a lot of them. A notoriously dangerous island, a small force to defend it in spite of having one of the three devices powering the barrier put up at sea. Of course it was sink or swim for them.

It just was not fair for Zommari. He was Zommari Rureaux. The Seventh Espada. The elites of Lord Aizen's army. How dare he be pushed aside for anyone? It just was not fair to Zommari. He deserved better.

And he was going to prove it by surviving this battle. He was going to prove it by driving back the Alliance. He was going to show Konton that you did not put Zommari Rureaux in this kind of scenario.

Elsewhere, the remaining indoctrinated leaders of Edolas' Royal Army, Hughes and Sugarboy, stood at the ready when they heard the news. The enemy was on their way. Sugarboy looked a bit more determined, much to Hughes' exasperation. Then again, Hughes at least understood why.

Sugarboy was still bald from that fight at Willow Lake. Well, not completely bald. To be more accurate, he had a buzz-cut now. But it took him years to get his hair like that. Now, he had to spend another few years to get his hair the way he wanted it.

However, to his credit, Sugarboy was not allowing his frustration at losing his hair to blind him from the reality of his situation. He was well aware that he was being used for evil, just like Hughes was.

Sugarboy took a deep breath and addressed his comrade in arms. "How long do you think we must stand the humiliation of working under these monsters, Hughes?" He asked.

Hughes sighed. "Hey, don't get me wrong, I hate that we work for them." Hughes assured Sugarboy. "It is, by far, the least awesome thing we've ever done. And that's saying a lot. We almost doomed innocent magic-users to death, just because we didn't want to live in a world without magic. How's that for petty as hell."

"Unfortunately," Hughes continued, "we're putting up with this until one side loses or we end up dead. And frankly...it might be better to end up dead."

"...I never thought I'd hear such words from you, Hughes." Sugarboy grimly admitted.

"Same, and trust me, it's not awesome to say such a thing at all." Hughes sadly told Sugarboy. "But look at us, Sugarboy. We're puppets for a man who's an even bigger monster than King Faust was. We're working for the monsters that destroyed Edolas...killed so many innocent people...and our king…"

Hughes and Sugarboy, of course, did not know that Mystogan was alive and right now rehabilitating his injuries.

"There's just no point in resisting anymore." Hughes said sadly. "We're just two puppets who were once leaders of a kingdom that practically no longer exists. All that's left now is to fight and eventually die."

Hughes had truly been pushed past the point of despair to suggest something like that. And Sugarboy was the same way. They were soldiers without a kingdom, forced into evil by a complete monster. There was nothing left for them but death…

Finally, the last of the major players on Risky Red Island was striking various "cool" poses to show off to his crew. He was cool, after all, cool as a fox. The Silver Fox, Foxy, finished his poses to laugh. "Feh feh feh feh!" He cackled. "Well boys, it looks like glory is in our sights!"

"Right, Boss!" The Foxy Pirates cheered.

"And when glory is in our sights, we go out and take it by any means necessary! Right boys?"

"Right, Boss!" The Foxy Pirates cheered again.

"And we'll crush anyone who gets in our way, regardless of who it is." Foxy arrogantly added. "Even that blasted Straw Hat! Right, boys?"

The Foxy Pirates fell silent at Foxy's statement. Foxy's mouth dropped open comically as he spun around, turning on his crew. "WHAT?" He screamed. "Come on, guys! Are you telling me you don't believe in me if we end up fighting Straw Hat?"

"It's, not that we don't believe in you, Boss." One Foxy Pirate pointed out. "It's more like...we believe in Straw Hat way more."

Foxy felt his heart shatter at that statement as he fell onto his hands and knees, visibly depressed at that statement. "Oh...I see…"

"But people love the underdog, Boss!" The Foxy Pirates then tried to cheer up their boss. "And guess what, you're now officially the underdog! That means you have a chance!"

...Logic at its finest, ladies and gentlemen…

Foxy's eyes widened. The color returned to his body when he realized that his beloved crew was exactly right. "YES!" He yelled. "If that is true, I, the great Foxy shall embrace the title of Foxy the Underdog!"

"Alright, Boss!" The Foxy Pirates cheered, happy to see their boss happy again.

"Feh feh feh feh!" Foxy continued to laugh. "Victory shall go to the underdogs on this day!"

"Underdogs! Underdogs! Underdogs!" The Foxy Pirates all cheered, as though they had forgotten they had only said that to try and cheer Foxy up. Now, they pretty much believe the hype they had tried to fake for their captain's sake.

To be fair, nobody ever claimed the Foxy Pirates were smart. They were just really good cheaters. If they were really smart, they could find a way to win without cheating. And so, they simply continued to chant the word "underdogs" repeatedly, waiting for the enemy to arrive.

Finally, a soldier in a Rakuen military blazer gazed out at the metallic looking beasts that currently roamed the parts of Risky Red Island that had once belonged to the wildlife. "The Iron Maidens seem to be growing restless." Outlier Uroko noted.

Uroko thought it over. "Probably because they sense the enemy's arrival? I guess that means they really are evolving...beginning to have some sense of self-awareness, interesting."

Uroko looked over his shoulder at a ten foot-tall Iron Maiden with a back that was covered in spikes. "I guess you weren't an exception after all...this seems to be a trend...Alpha."

The Iron Maiden known as Alpha stepped past Uroko and gazed out its kind. "Iron Maidens…" it said lowly.

"Amazing," Uroko took out a notepad and recorded what he had just witnessed, "not only are they becoming self-aware, Alpha is beginning to speak in broken English. Master Sagi is going to be thrilled when he discovers this."

While Uroko was indeed one of Sagi's many research assistants, he was not, by any means, a member of Sagi's Court. No, he was but a humble Outlier that Sagi had taken on as a research assistant to act as his eyes out in the field, observing his many science experiments for the war.

 _The Iron Maidens have proven themselves to be an impressive force when they were simply mindless beasts. They only acted on instinct as an extension of Wapol's hatred for all those who oppose him._ Uroko thought to himself. _Even I have to admit I'm curious...what will happen now that they have gained a sense of self-awareness? Will they continue acting as instruments of Wapol's will, or will they they develop desires of their own?_

 _And what's more...how did this even happen in the first place?_ Uroko wondered. _It all happened without warning. What could've possibly triggered the Iron Maidens evolving to the point where they became less like beasts and more aware? Master Sagi should look into this once I return from this island._

 _Evolution is natural...but this is just strange…_

As Uroko continued to think on these new developments, the 3rd Fleet's invading forces arrived on Risky Red Island. "Spread out!" Kakashi Hatake ordered. "And be careful! This island is known for being extremely hazardous."

Elsewhere on the shores, Natsu Dragneel let out a triumphant roar at finally being off that damn ship and on solid ground. "FINALLY!" He screamed. "I'm fired up and totally not feeling like I want to puke!"

"And just like that, he's got all his energy back." Lisanna gleefully noted.

"That's our Natsu." Mirajane added with a smile.

"Stupid flame brain," Gray muttered, "we've lost our element of surprise now."

"Gray, it's not like we ever were planning to take them by surprise. They probably already know we're here, considering we sailed here with no sense of stealth, whatsoever." Lucy pointed out.

Gray sighed. "Yeah, I guess that's true." He said before giving his guild mates a small smile. "You guys stay safe, alright. Let's all meet up here again and celebrate when we win this battle."

Before Gray left though, he had one last message for Natsu in particular. "Hey, Natsu...stay safe, alright?"

Natsu fell silent. He failed to get a response out before Gray left. "Honestly, that Gray should just be more honest with how he feels." Mirajane pouted slightly at Gray's distant behavior.

"You know how boys are, Sis." Lisanna sweat-dropped.

"Yep, thickheaded and unable to tell each other how much they really mean to each other." Mirajane lamented. "Which, I guess, is why we're here. We've all got our roles to play in life."

Natsu then charged into Risky Red Island, with Happy giddily following close behind. "Hey, Lucy," Lisanna addressed the Celestial Wizard. "Remember what I told you, back on Tenrou Island."

Lucy looked over her shoulder at Lisanna. "Stay close to Natsu, because he always gets stronger when there's someone important fighting by his side."

Lucy nodded. "Of course," she smiled at the Takeover Wizard.

Lisanna then laughed sheepishly. "I mean at all times," she said, "like right now. Before he gets too far away from you."

Lucy's mouth dropped open. "Natsu, wait up!" She called out to him. "Don't leave without me!"

Lucy charged after Natsu, calling for him to slow down and allow her to catch up. "Those two really are something together." Mirajane muttered.

Lisanna briefly held a look of sadness on her face before smiling. "Yeah," she said, "yeah they are."

With that, Mirajane and Lisanna ran into Risky Red as well, ready to track down their foes for battle.

And so, the Allied Forces began to move through Risky Red Island, encountering a surprising lack of resistance along the way. Kakashi and the rest of the higher-ups present were quick to theorize that this was due to the fact they did not want their own men exposed to the island's hazards.

Which meant they needed to be prepared. They would be exposed to the risks soon enough…

Izuru Kira screamed in fright as he was suddenly swept off his feet by what appeared to be a snare trap made from the vines around them. "Lieutenant Kira!" A few Soul Reapers yelled for their superior.

"What is this?" Izuru swung about, already sick to his stomach from the force of the trap's trigger and being swung around like a ragdoll.

Elsewhere, Bartolomeo and Cavendish suddenly found themselves frozen in place. Then, they strangely found themselves moving down instead of forward. "Hey Cabbage," Bartolomeo spoke up, "is it just me, but is the world getting higher, or are we getting shorter?"

Cavendish ignored the fact that Bartolomeo referred to him as "Cabbage" like always. "I don't know." Cavendish admitted. "But I hate it."

"Umm...Bartolomeo...Cavendish?" A 3rd Fleet Pirate said with uncertainty and a sweat-drop. "You two might want to look around."

Bartolomeo and Cavendish did as asked. They both went pale at the sight. "Hey, Bartolomeo," Cavendish said, "what's wet like water, but solid like the ground?"

Bartolomeo began stammering, unable to get the answer out. The two then said it in unison. "Quicksand!" They exclaimed with fright.

A mortified bunch of Alliance grunts could only facepalm at the sheer stupidity of both Cavendish and Bartolomeo. I mean seriously, who walks right into quicksand? Apparently, a guy who wants to impress his heroes, and another guy who frankly cannot go two minutes without looking at his own reflection like the Greek tragedy of Narcissus...hopefully Cavendish' story does not end like the Greek tragedy of Narcissus.

Elsewhere, Lucy Heartfilia ran into troubles of her own as she found herself staring down the horrifying sight of a rolling boulder. Screaming with fear, Lucy spun around and began running away from the boulder and the oblivious Natsu and Happy. "THIS IS SUCH A CLICHE!" Lucy screamed in disbelief.

And finally, as Might Guy and Rock Lee charged forward, with Guy honestly thrilled that he was off that stupid boat, they found themselves standing on a very unstable pathway above rushing water that would take them right back to the ocean.

As the ground cracked before them, Kakashi simply watched with a deadpan expression on his face as the pathway gave way and sent both Guy and Lee crashing into the rushing river. "Umm...Commander?" A soldier spoke up to Kakashi. "Shouldn't we...you know, go and help Guy and Lee?"

Kakashi sighed. "It is literally impossible to kill those two, they are like cockroaches. Step on them and they'll just come back stronger. Or in this case, swim right up the drain and onto the sink."

Guy and Lee then let out a roar as they suddenly began swimming with tremendous force to get out of the raging river. Within a minute, they were out of the river. "See what I mean." Kakashi sighed as the two morons roared with triumph.

"Wow…" The soldiers muttered in unison, unable to believe the ridiculousness that had just taken place in front of them.

As the 3rd Fleet found themselves scattered by the chaos of Risky Red Island, Uroko laughed in amusement as he watched the scene unfold in his binoculars. "It really is too bad we're at war. Instead of research, I could make a pretty penny off of tricking morons into coming to this island and filming them getting caught in these island hazards. Maybe once we rule the universe and the so-called decency that restrains the people is thrown out the window, there will be a market for this kind of stuff."

"Alpha," Uroko turned his attention to the self-aware Iron Maiden known as Alpha, "what do you think? Are you experiencing any emotions from witnessing these morons getting caught in traps? Joy? Amusement? A sense of humor?"

"...Iron Maidens." Alpha pointed out at its people.

"...I guess we're stuck on your curiosity towards your own kind." Uroko mused.

"I guess that's understandable. In terms of appearance, you're kind of a freak of nature, Alpha." Uroko pointed out. "And naturally, you're curious about the species that was, for lack of a better phrase, accidentally created. Your species, by the way. You're curious about the freaks just like you."

"Iron Maidens." Alpha continued to point at its people.

Uroko laughed in amusement. "This is fantastic. I finally have a partner that I can say whatever the hell I want to and not give a damn about the consequences. Just as long as I keep track of how much intelligence and self-awareness you are gaining and what rate."

"Now then," Uroko reached into his pocket and pulled out a very odd object: a whistle. Just a plain whistle. "I think it's time we got started here."

Uroko blew into the whistle and almost immediately, the Iron Maidens stood at attention. Oh, did I say it was a plain whistle? No, it is actually a special whistle that Sagi developed to get the attention of and command the Iron Maidens. One has to wonder, how much free time does The Fraud actually have? And how can I get my hands on a fraction of it?

Uroko watched as each Iron Maiden turned its attention to him. "Alright, you ugly ingrates!" Uroko shouted. "Listen up and listen well! We've got some enemies here on this island! That means, you have a job to do! Go forth and kill all the enemy soldiers!"

Thankfully, Uroko did not have to specify. Because the Iron Maidens were technically formed as an extension of Wapol's will, they had an inherent hatred for anyone in the Allied Forces. That meant, as soon as Uroko ordered the Iron Maidens to "kill the enemy soldiers", the Iron Maidens would immediately turn and begin hunting down anyone a part of the Allied Forces. In fact, that is exactly what they did.

"Iron Maidens." Alpha growled.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, you're people are a little busy right now, Alpha." Uroko said. "But you, stay with me. You're our ace in the hole on this island."

"That means," Uroko looked over his shoulder at the device powering the barrier on the sea, "you need to be here to protect our golden goose egg."

"Iron Maidens." Alpha repeated, pointing ahead.

"Listen you lug!" Uroko snapped. "That device is far more important than the Iron Maidens. For crying out loud, we can just make more! The device's safety is for our benefit! That means, it's for your people's benefit! Never forget that what benefits you is also what benefits the Coalition. So stop repeating yourself, shut up, and stand guard like a good dog!"

Alpha fell silent. He then said one simple word. "Benefit." With that, Alpha went over and stood protectively in front of the device.

Uroko groaned. "Thank goodness you're not entirely stupid. The only downside is, you actually having intelligence makes this whistle obsolete. That means I can't command you like the other Iron Maidens. I'll have to ask Master Sagi to create a new version to keep you and whoever comes next on a leash once this is over." Uroko mused.

With the Alliance now scattered by the various hazards that adorned Risky Red Island, they were now prime for the taking...and by taking, I mean being killed by enemy soldiers.

Lisanna and Mirajane Strauss stood back to back as they were surrounded by a sudden pack of Iron Maidens. "These things again?" Lisanna's eyes darted back and forth to make sure none of them were making a move.

Mirajane smirked. "Geez, I'm starting to wonder if these monsters have a little schoolboy crush going." She joked. "Haven't you noticed that every single time they've shown up in a battle report, it's a battle that I'm in."

"First of all, Mira," Lisanna deadpanned, "you're overthinking it. Second...I think these things were designed with a woman's body in mind. So if they are crushing on you...it's probably a schoolgirl crush."

Mirajane gazed at the Iron Maidens and noticed that they all had the curves of a supermodel...which honestly made their appearance even creepier. "Okay, wow, how in the world did I miss that?" Mirajane wondered.

The Iron Maidens growled and hissed at the two Strauss sisters as they crouched down to pounce. "I...don't think they appreciated your quip about them having a crush on you." Lisanna muttered.

"Now look who's overthinking things." Mirajane joked as she began to transform. "Satan Soul!"

Lisanna rolled her eyes. "Honestly, you are still such a handful, Sis." She admitted as she began to transform as well. "Animal Soul: Tigress!"

The Iron Maidens froze, watching the two sisters transform. Lisanna sped forward, slashing the throat of the first Iron Maiden she could get her hands on. She flexed the offending claw with satisfaction for her work. "I can tell I've gotten stronger these past few months." She happily noted. "That's great! I don't have to be on the sidelines anymore!"

"Hey, Sis!" Lisanna called out. "Did you see that…"

Lisanna trailed off as she saw Mirajane power up an attack of her own. "Soul Extinction!" She yelled, vaporizing a line of Iron Maidens that were dumb enough to attack the She Devil of Fairy Tail.

"Did you say something, Lisanna?" Mirajane asked curiously.

Lisanna sweat-dropped at Mirajane's display of power. "Oh...it was nothing important." She replied, looking visibly dejected as the realization hit her.

 _Dang it...I still can't beat Mira._ She concluded.

After cutting himself out of that annoying snare trap, Izuru Kira, who was surprisingly irritated by that unexpected humiliation, was on the warpath. Thankfully, the Iron Maidens were the perfect outlet for his rage. "Raise your head, Wabisuke." He growled as his Zanpakuto took its odd shape.

Iron Maidens were creatures of iron. Wabisuke was a weapon that was basically anti-iron. You do the math. And so, Izuru casually strode through Risky Red Island, clanging Wabisuke against the bodies of any Iron Maiden that charged towards him. "Stupid traps. Stupid island. Stupid monsters." Izuru was so out of character right now, it was ridiculous.

"Is...Lieutenant Kira okay?" A soldier whispered to another.

"...He's been through a lot lately." The other soldier responded.

He has been betrayed by the captain he admired. Shot through the torso, destroying a good portion of his upper body, got his ass kicked multiple times throughout the campaign in Fiore, and now had to endure the humiliation of falling for a simple snare trap. Yeah, Izuru has been through a lot. He is mad as Hell, and he is not going to take it anymore.

Elsewhere, the Inuzukas were out proving that you fight beasts with beasts. "Ninja Art: Man Beast Clone!" Kiba and Tsume yelled in unison as their respective partners transformed into them.

Kuromaru and Akamaru both growled in spite of their now human forms as the Inuzukas stared down the charging Iron Maidens. "Age before beauty, Ma?" Kiba grinned.

"You're getting five across the ass for that comment, Kiba. Don't think you can suddenly get so big for your britches!" Tsume yelled. "Let's go, Kuromaru! Fang Over Fang!"

Kiba and Akamaru watched as the head of the Inuzuka Clan and her longtime partner tore through the Iron Maidens like they were paper with the Fang Over Fang technique. Kiba chuckled. "Ma's as strong as always. She really is the Alpha." He noted before turning to Akamaru. "What do you say, Boy? I don't really want to be left behind by my own mom. And you want to surpass Kuromaru, don't you?"

Akamaru growled competitively at that statement. "Then let's show them both we're as good, if not better!" Kiba declared. "Fang Over Fang!"

And so, Kiba and Akamaru spun around each other to create two massive, slashing tornados that tore through the Iron Maidens with about as much ease as Tsume and Kuromaru. "Yahoo!" Kiba yelled triumphantly.

Tsume and Kuromaru both watched as the two younger fighters celebrated their display of strength. "In all seriousness though, Kuromaru, Kiba's going to make a hell of a clan head one of these days." Tsume complimented.

"And Akamaru shall remain the perfect partner for him." Kuromaru complimented before gazing at Tsume. "Is he still going to get spanked for that comment though?"

"Oh, hell yeah he is." Tsume frowned. "Age before beauty my ass! I may be a bit old, but I'm still damn more beautiful than I am old!"

Kuromaru sweat-dropped. "So nice to know that that's your priority." He muttered.

"Fighting Music: Scratch Shan Don!" Elsewhere, Scratchmen Apoo busted out his Fighting Music for battle against the Beasts Pirates.

"Shan!" Apoo yelled as he emitted a slicing soundwave from the instruments created from his body. The soundwave was fired towards the charging Iron Maidens.

Apoo grinned as the Shan sliced off the heads of each Iron Maiden. "Yo my name is Apoo, and I ain't nobody's foo'!" Apoo rapped. "Though I don't like killing, kicking ass is real thilling!"

"Word!" An On-Air Pirate piped up behind Apoo.

Apoo nodded in smug satisfaction. "Word indeed," he said with glee, "these Iron Maidens lose to me in every way possible. Battle, music, handsomeness too, though I don't normally toot my own horn on that third one."

"That's because those things are even uglier than you are, Boss!" A second On-Air Pirate shouted out, thinking he was making a funny joke.

Apoo's mouth dropped open. Even if he knew that was true...wow, there was no reason to outright say it, right? "Umm...Boss?" The second pirate realized he might have said just a bit too much.

Apoo fell to his knees. "I always knew I wasn't exactly the most handsome man." He admitted. "But am I really that ugly?"

"You've never had a problem with this before, Boss!" The On-Air Pirates exclaimed. "Why is this such an issue now?"

"So blunt…" Apoo muttered. "So blunt...I can't believe how easy it is for people to admit I'm ugly. My musician's ego...it's been shattered."

"Nice going, dude, you shattered the boss' musician's ego." The foolish pirate heard his friends criticize him.

"How was I supposed to know his ego would be shattered?!" The pirate demanded. "He was the one who brought it up in the first place! I thought he would be cool with it!"

"You clearly need to read people better dude."

"Yeah, read people better."

"There is a war going on! Why are we stopping to criticize a stupid screw-up like this?"

These were recently created Iron Maidens. As such, they were at the lowest level of ability possible. The very bottom of the totem pole of their evolution. As such, the Allied Forces managed to tear through the crowds of iron beasts with ease, in spite of being caught up in the confusion of Risky Red Island's hazards earlier.

Which meant that the elites were already well on their way to moving towards the center of the island. And that meant, they were well on their way to meeting up with the Coalition Officers who had been placed in charge of guarding this island from those who were hot-blooded enough to try and brave the perils.

Kakashi Hatake froze in place as he continued to charge through Risky Red Island. He held his hands out in front of him, causing the soldiers following close behind to stop dead in their tracks. His eye was wide with surprise as he sensed two very familiar Chakra signatures coming towards him. "No…" he muttered. "Not again. Damn it, why can't they just be allowed to rest?"

Zabuza Momochi and his subordinate Haku strolled into view with calm looks on their faces, in spite of the situation they had been forced into once again. Zabuza could not help but smirk behind his bandages, genuinely happy to see Kakashi again, in spite of the situation they were in.

"It looks like we're just fated to meet up, Kakashi." He mused. "Too bad the kid ain't here. I still owe him a big thanks for putting things in perspective back then."

"Zabuza," Kakashi could only say in sadness and sympathy. He turned his attention to Zabuza's partner, "Haku."

Haku bowed in respect. "It is good to see you, in spite of how things are, Kakashi." He kindly greeted the man.

"The Demon of the Hidden Mist...and some kid." A young ninja could not help but mutter in fear at the sight of Zabuza.

"He is indeed a demon...but he's also a good man." Kakashi said sternly.

"My, my, I didn't take you to be the sentimental type, Kakashi." Zabuza teased.

"I could say the same of you." Kakashi noted. "What's up? You didn't use your Hidden Mist Jutsu."

"Not like this, Kakashi." Zabuza grimly shook his head. "I don't wanna fight you like this. I want to confront you like a man for a change. Not because some guy with delusions of grandeur tells me to. We may be Shinobi...but we're humans, not tools."

Kakashi smiled slightly underneath his mask. Naruto had definitely gotten through to the man. He really did have a way of changing people. While Kakashi was distracted by this fact, someone sped in front of him, attacking Zabuza with an drawn blade. Zabuza blocked the strike with ease, in spite of the massive Executioner's Blade he carried.

"Rose!" Kakashi called out to the Squad 3 Captain.

Rose ignored Kakashi and glared at Zabuza. "I may not fully understand what kind of relationship you two have...but I think it's fair to say that the two of you are friends...and friends should never be forced to fight each other to the death like this."

Zabuza almost denied they were friends before falling silent and nodded. "Yeah, we're friends." He said.

Rose nodded in understanding, continuing to glare at Zabuza. It soon became clear he was not speaking to Zabuza now, he was speaking to Konton. "Do you feel nothing when you torture people like this? Do you have any idea what it's like to be forced to fight friends?"

Rose had a dead serious expression on his face, more serious than anyone had ever seen before. "I will never forgive you for forcing friends to fight like this. I will never forgive you for reminding me of my most unpleasant memories." He furiously claimed.

Rose was not just talking about the night the Vizards lost everything, when Kensei and Mashiro both attacked them in the frenzied, Hollowfied state. He was also referring to the times he had to fight indoctrinated soldiers like Dan Kato. It all infuriated him so. This Konton was the epitome of evil. No matter what happened, he could not be forgiven.

"Hidden Jutsu: One Thousand Needles!" Several senbon made from the moisture in the air appeared around Rose.

Haku was holding out a single Hand Sign. "Even though neither of us wish it, one thing remains the same. Zabuza is everything to me. I won't allow anyone to lay a hand on him!"

"Barrierbility: House!" A cube like barrier appeared around Rose, forcing Zabuza away and blocking the incoming needles.

Haku's eyes widened. "What? Reinforcements?"

Bartolomeo laughed, holding out his crossed fingers. "We've escaped the quicksand!" The infamous cannibal declared. "And we're back in the fight!"

How did they get out so fast? Well, as Bartolomeo would probably say, details are not important in a manly fight for greatness. He was definitely genre savvy in that regard. "Bartolomeo, where's Cavendish?" Kakashi asked. "Isn't he supposed to be with you?"

"Cabbage ran off elsewhere as soon as we escaped the quicksand." Bartolomeo said with a smile. "Said something about me being a magnet for bad luck and wanting to escape before something happened to his beauty."

"Why are you smiling about that?" Kakashi deadpanned. "You know he was insulting you, right?"

"A barrier user?" Haku narrowed his eyes. "He might be trouble. Zabuza, would you like me to take care of that one so he doesn't get in your way?"

"Go right ahead, fighting guys that know how to put up barriers is always a pain in the ass." Zabuza popped his neck, preparing to re-engage Rose. "Okay, blondie, you and me, let's go."

"Commander, take the men and continue onwards." Rose ordered. "Bartolomeo and I can handle these two. We're more than enough."

"That's right!" Bartolomeo said with glee. "In fact, I could take them on my own! After all, I'm a disciple of the great Acts of Order! If and when I do take them both down in a two-on-one fight! Natsu would praise me! And then he'd tell Luffy, Ichigo and Naruto of my actions and they'll all praise me!"

"They would all notice me!" Bartolomeo shouted his glee to the sky.

Haku gazed at Bartolomeo, visibly uncomfortable at the sight of the man. "...I'm almost tempted to ask Zabuza to switch with me." He muttered before remembering something from that previous statement. "Wait, you're friends with Naruto?"

Bartolomeo blushed, holding his hands to his face like a schoolgirl with a crush. "I mean, I suppose we could be friends. Oh, it would be a dream come true if we were! I mean, I've already got so much of his memorabilia autographed." He gushed.

"...On second thought, I don't want Zabuza to suffer this lunacy." Haku muttered.

Elsewhere, Zommari Rureaux arose from his meditation to confront the two foes that had reached his domain. "I'm impressed," he admitted, "you two are mere humans, and yet you defeated every single soldier single handedly with nothing but your fists at your disposal. You have earned the attention of the Seventh Espada, Zommari Rureaux."

Rock Lee and Might Guy gave Zommari their trademark grins. "Glad that we have your attention, Mr. Zommari!" Guy said respectfully.

Zommari blinked in surprise. His calm and serene persona shattered as he gave the two weirdos looks of disbelief. "Umm," he said, "you do know that's supposed to be a bad thing, right?"

"Nonsense!" Lee declared. "This can only be a good thing! This is the opportunity to test the Flames of Youth against one of the ten strongest Arrancar! I haven't yet had a chance to really spar with Ms. Neliel because she's far too nice to fight me seriously, so I consider this a wonderful turn of events!"

"Neliel Tu Odelschwanck, yes...the traitor to her race." Zommari frowned, apparently not giving a damn that Nnoitra Gilga and Szayel Aporro Granz were the reason she left the Espada in the first place. If he knew the truth, that is.

"Nel is many wonderful things, but a traitor to anything is not one of them." Guy narrowed his eyes. "The fact that you'd say that about any kind of comrade, former or current, is nothing short of despicable."

"Guy-Sensei!" Lee called out to his father-figure. "If I may, even if his words do disgust you, I'd like to be the one to fight this man. You promised I'd get the first officer after all!"

"That I did, Lee, and a promise is a promise!" Guy noted, completely serious. "Step forward, my boy. Step forward and do your Sensei proud!"

"If I can't win, Guy-Sensei, I will do three-hundred two finger push-ups while doing a handstand!" Lee promised. "And if I can't do that…"

"Lee! There is no need to promise that!" Guy assured him with a smile. "Because you're going to win this fight no problem! You've gotten much stronger since Fiore!"

Lee almost burst into tears at Guy's faith in him. However, for once, he managed to hold it together. "Thank you, sir!" He shouted before stepping forward to face Zommari.

Zommari simply watched all of this happen with a look of disbelief on his face. Then he fully registered Guy's absolute faith in Lee to obtain victory and his eyes narrowed. "You think this boy can beat me?" Zommari growled. "What unbelievable arrogance."

"Faith and arrogance are two completely different things, Zommari Rureaux." Guy noted. "Lee has grown through faith in his own work ethic. And he believes he can win because of the results of his training, just as I do. That is not arrogance, it is faith."

"And I believe I can win because I have faith in Guy-Sensei's training!" Lee added. "Zommari Rureaux, no matter what abilities you may have, I promise I won't lose to you!"

"People put their faith in gods, not men. To put any sort of faith in men...is the highest form of arrogance." Zommari declared. "You will see just that, when you're dying at my feet."

Elsewhere, Kiba Inuzuka sniffed the air briefly before his eyes narrowed. "Well now, I'd recognize that scent anywhere. It's been awhile, but my nose never forgets a scent."

Hughes calmly strode into view, glaring at Kiba. "What's up, Hughes?" Kiba casually greeted Hughes with a grin. "Haven't seen you since Willow Lake."

"The mutt again," Hughes muttered, "I don't know whether I should think seeing you again is awesome or not. After all, you did beat me before. But still, I may be indoctrinated but I have my pride. And as a soldier, I can't forgive the one who beat me before."

"Sugarboy!" Hughes called out to Sugarboy, who was already standing off to the side.

"I know, my friend." Sugarboy sighed. "Don't worry, I have no intention of interfering. You've been practically salivating at the thought of taking on these two mutts a second time."

"Like I said, I may be a puppet, but I've still got my pride as a soldier." Hughes noted, showing a surprising amount of determination. "I'm going to put you dogs under my boot based on principal, not for Konton's sake."

"Now that I can respect." Kiba admitted. "You hear that, Akamaru? It looks like Hughes has got his balls back after Konton neutered him."

Hughes brought out his Command Tact. "Stupid mutt," he growled, "don't get so cocky. You don't have bug boy to drain my magic this time around."

"You should be the one shaking over that fact, Hughes." Kiba growled back. "I'm not as nice as Shino."

Sugarboy chuckled. "Hughes rarely shows so much determination." He mused. "Perhaps his hatred for the situation around him has reached its peak and he needs an outlet?"

"And what of you?" Sugarboy was cut out of his musings by a gruff voice. "You don't seem too eager to get into the fight."

Sugarboy turned to see Wyper approaching him, surprisingly calm. Well, it actually made sense. Wyper may be an aggressive Shandorian, but he is still a Shandorian and that means he has enough honor not to attack someone so dishonestly. He has his warrior's pride after all.

"Hmm," Sugarboy thought it over, "well, to tell you the truth…"

Sugarboy pointed to his bald head as his face contorted into comical rage. "When I see the bratty girl who burnt my perfect hair off, I'm going to cut her to a million pieces!" He vowed. "Whether I'm indoctrinated or not, nobody messes with the Sugarboy Hairdo!"

"Sorry," Wyper shrugged, "I'm no bratty girl, obviously, but since you seem to have no problem threatening people who are supposed to be my allies, that means I've gotta do something about it. See, two years ago, the only thing that mattered to me were my fellow Shandorians."

"But times have changed, I can't just worry about my tribe." Wyper pointed out, aiming his Burn Bazooka at Sugarboy. "I don't give a damn about your stupid hair. If you really mean to harm an ally of mine, I must take you down based on principal."

Sugarboy regained his composure and smiled wryly. "You know," he said as he drew Rosa Espada, "I do love honest people."

Finally, Lucy Heartiflia, having escaped that cliche boulder that was trying to run her down, found herself surrounded by the Foxy Pirates. And true to form, all the men immediately started cheering when they found themselves staring down a sexy, curvaceous blonde with the best set of knockers in all of Fairy Tail.

What, the narrator is allowed to recognize facts, is he not?

"Surrounded by the pervy gazes of strange men." Lucy shuddered at the sight. "Am I still on an island, or did I end up at a strip club?"

"Feh feh feh feh!" Foxy laughed as he stepped into view. "What a sexy woman you are! Sexy! Sexy!"

"MONSTER!" Lucy shrieked at the sight of Foxy's hideous face.

"EH! Who are you calling a monster, girl?!" Foxy asked in disbelief. "I am not a monster! I'm the Silver Fox, Foxy! And I am a handsome man!"

Lucy gazed at Foxy in disbelief. "...Serious question," she said, "do you not own a mirror?"

Foxy was immediately on his hands and knees, visibly depressed. "BOSS!" The Foxy Pirates all screamed in horror and grief at the sight of their depressed leader.

"You bitch!" Foxy's right-hand woman, Porsche, screamed at Lucy. "You can't say that to the captain!"

Lucy sighed in irritation, clearly having no time for any of this as she walked past Foxy. "Listen, I really don't like having my time wasted by this kind of lunacy. I deal with enough of it at my guild. So, have a nice life everyone."

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE LITTLE GIRL!" Lucy spun around saw that Foxy had risen to his feet with a determined grin on his face. "I can't just let you leave, can I?"

"Well, I mean, you can." Lucy shrugged.

"Sorry," Foxy said, "but if you wish to go any further, you'll have to defeat us first! Are you sure you can handle the awesome might of the Foxy Pirates?"

Lucy took one look at the Foxy Pirates and shrugged. "Honestly," she said with a small but confident smile, "something tells me I'd have to quit Fairy Tail if I couldn't."

Meanwhile, Natsu Dragneel let out a roar reminiscent of an actual dragon as he charged through Risky Red Island, subconsciously dodging all the hazards he was setting off. "With all these traps in the way, there better be someone really strong at the top!" Natsu declared with a grin. "I'm getting fired up with how they're setting things up here!"

"At the top?" Happy flew up next to Natsu.

Natsu pointed at the massive mountain that was in the dead center of Risky Red Island. "One of the weird doohickeys powering the barrier at sea is on this island. And it stands to reason it'd be at the place that is most difficult to get to, right?" Natsu noted.

Happy's eyes widened. Natsu's intellect was actually starting to shine through at this moment...then again, mainly because he wanted to destroy something and not get in trouble for it. "So, you think it's at the top?" Happy asked curiously.

"I am 99% sure!" Natsu admitted.

Happy then gave a cocky smirk. "Looks like it's my turn to shine." He gestured to his wings. "Wish you said so sooner, Natsu. Now we can bypass all the hassle and go straight to the top!"

Natsu gazed at Happy, remembered his wings (he had forgotten them in his excitement of figuring out where the device was most likely located), and gave a big, excited grin. "Now we're talking!" He explained. "Fly me up, Happy!"

"Aye sir!" Happy yelled, grabbing onto Natsu. "Hang on tight! Max Speed!"

And with that, a blue shooting star rocketed into the sky as a battle below raged on...


	13. Chapter 13: Risky Red's Red Hot Battles

**Quick Update on the message from when I originally posted this: To everyone who's been harassing some of the flamers. Shame on you guys, I thought we were all better than that. A few apologized and we're cool now. I appreciate the thought, but I never wanted anyone harassing anyone for my sake. I'm a big opponent of harassment and I don't want any of you to stoop low enough to do that, because I know most of you, you're better than that.**

 **Chapter 13: Risky Red's Red Hot Battles**

"Okay!" Hughes declared in excitement, raising his Command Tact in the air in preparation for his rematch with the two mutts that bested him before. "I'm going to enjoy this far more than I should! Now, come forth, my monsters!"

Akamaru growled out a warning, catching Kiba's attention. The Inuzuka nodded. "I know, boy, I can smell 'em all too. Feels like I'm about to greet a bunch of old friends."

With that, Hughes' Monster Academy "students" made their appearance, leaping from camouflaged hiding spaces, surrounding Kiba in the process. Kiba heaved a tired sigh, recognizing each monster from Willow Lake. "Only, every single 'friend' is that one friend from each group that nobody likes." Kiba muttered, gazing at all the familiar faces coming out to play again.

Yep, the whole gang was back. Wolf Man, Frankenstein, Mummy, Dracula, the Gill Man, Swamp Man, and Medusa (who thankfully had been blindfolded to avoid accidentally turning her allies into stone); it seemed like every movie monster in existence had come back for round 2 with Kiba. Hughes chuckled. "The good students of Monster Academy certainly remember you, Kiba. And they don't appreciate the corporeal punishment they received last time."

"The hell kind of threat is that? Are you saying I'm a teacher now?" Kiba frowned.

Hughes heaved a sigh. "Okay, yeah, even I'll admit that threat was in no ways awesome."

Kiba popped his neck, grinning at each of the monsters that had surrounded him and Akamaru. "You know, I really should be scared. Some buddies of mine from the Wizard World introduced me to this thing called 'horror movies,' played on Lacrima, right? Surrounded by this many monsters, I should be terrified."

Kiba then bared his wolf-like fangs at the monsters. "But honestly, I'm not, because you guys are about to get torn to shreds by real monsters. You're the horror-movie victims, not me."

Akamaru barked in agreement. "Let's go, Akamaru!" Kiba ordered his companion and best friend.

Hughes frowned at Kiba's declaration. "Indoctrinated or not, I've got my pride." Hughes noted. "And I'm going to win awesomely this time."

The students of the Monster Academy all leapt at Kiba and Akamaru in unison. Kiba immediately noticed that a few of them were in front of Medusa, as though they were defending her at the same time. _She must be their trump card,_ Kiba noted, _well, the best way to deal with a trump card is to force it into the open, first. Don't give them a chance to safely bust it out!_

"Transform, Akamaru!" Kiba ordered as Akamaru did as told and became a perfect clone of the Inuzuka boy. "Now, Fang Over Fang!"

"Franken Punch!" Hughes yelled, directing Frankenstein to throw a mighty right hook at the two terrible tornados.

Then, Kiba and Akamaru revealed a new trick up their sleeve. "Fang Over Fang: Dog Agility!" And suddenly, just as Frankenstein was about to block their Fang Over Fang with a punch, the two twisters dispersed and actually moved around the monster and then rejoined to strike an unsuspecting Mummy, who could only moan out what sounded like a muffled scream.

Hughes watched in shock as Kiba and Akamaru easily avoided Frankenstein's Franken Punch and then proceeded to tear Mummy apart with the greatest of ease. His bandages flew about like wrapping paper, being torn and tossed by a kid on Christmas day. Mummy was knocked off his feet and onto his back, rendered immobile by Kiba and Akamaru's aggressive assault.

Hughes narrowed his eyes at the sight. Those two had gotten stronger. They downed one of his monsters with ease this time. He had to overwhelm them with numbers or Medusa would bring them down with her eyes. It was the only way he could guarantee his win in the rematch.

Actually, scratch that, he did have a trump card to play. An awesome trump card in fact. There was a reason he had someone as gross as Swamp Man "enrolled" in the Monster Academy, allowed to walk around, dripping like a runny nose. It certainly wasn't for his good looks or stellar academics.

No, it was exactly for situations like these, when jocks like Kiba and his stupid dog needed to be taken down a notch or two. Swamp Man roaring and flailing his arms around, catching Kiba's attention. Kiba took one look at Swamp Man and groaned in slight disgust. "You are one _ugly_ mother-"

Akamaru barked at Kiba, not wanting him to finish that sentence. "What?" Kiba asked, not seeing anything wrong with what he almost said.

The other monsters parted, allowing Swamp Man to have his go at Kiba. "Ready, Akamaru, I think this goopy bastard wants a go."

Akamaru growled in response. "Fang Over Fang!" Kiba yelled, rushing Swamp Man dead on, much to the amusement of Hughes.

"That was totes a bad move." Hughes chuckled.

Then, when Kiba and Akamaru drove themselves into Swamp Man, they actually found themselves stuck to it like glue. Swamp Man's swampy body was some sort of adhesive that stopped their momentum.

"What Swamp Man lacks in good lucks, he makes up for with his big heart at the Monster Academy." Hughes chuckled. "What can I say, he's a hugger. Once he grabs onto ya, he won't ever let you go."

Kiba and Akamaru frantically tried to pull themselves free from Swamp Man's gooey body, but its massive, sticky frame was just too much for them to pull free from. Hughes laughed at the sight. "Awesome, awesome, awesome!" He yelled. "Okay, student body of Monster Academy, feel free to get your kicks in as much as ya want!"

"Hey, Dracula!" Hughes waved his Command Tact at the vampire. "Why don't you get some lunch. You've been wanting a nice Chakra snack since Willow Lake, right?"

Dracula trained his gaze on Kiba and Akamaru, licking his lips in hunger. Kiba noticed this and paled slightly, remembering what happened to Shino in Willow Lake. "Akamaru, we've gotta get free, now!" He frantically yelled to his partner.

Akamaru yipped in response. "Crap, crap, crap, how though." Kiba frantically muttered, trying to pull himself free from Swamp Man.

"Moron," Hughes taunted, "you can't get free. Swamp Man was recruited to serve as the great defender of Monster Academy. In fact, if Monster Academy were a manga, Swamp Man would be the hero because of that defense...or maybe like the hero's super protective sidekick. Yeah, that works, the super-protective Swamp Man is the sidekick, the best friend of the hero. And the hero is someone hotblooded like...hey, Wolf Man, you think you'd be a good protagonist?"

Wolf Man howled positively in response. "Well, there's your answer." Hughes smirked. "Okay, Dracula, sorry for the tangent, suck them dry now."

"DUDE!" Kiba paled. "Phrasing!"

Dracula loomed over Kiba with a hungry look in his eyes. Kiba's brain frantically searched for a solution. _Okay, if I were a guy with a huge grip on someone. What's the one thing that would make me let them go, without fail?_

Kiba, being Kiba, found himself coming to a single possible solution, and it made him turn green with disgust at what he was about to order Akamaru to do. _I really hope the freaking Swamp Man is capable of being grossed out._

"Akamaru," Akamaru perked up at Kiba's voice and then his mouth gaped at Kiba's next order, "treat this guy like a tree."

Akamaru, thankfully, knew exactly what Kiba meant. Treat him like a tree. There was only one way a dog could treat a tree. And it was...well, a bit gross, but only natural for a dog like Akamaru.

Swamp Man stiffened when he felt a warm liquid on his stomach. A warm liquid that was spraying him like a mini-hose. He looked down and his swampy mouth dropped open. Akamaru was urinating on his stomach. Dracula stopped in place and stared at Akamaru in disgust. Most of the remaining Monster Academy students did the same.

Medusa, though, frantically looked around, wondering why her classmates had suddenly stopped in place. Swamp Man let out an inhuman shriek as it grabbed Kiba and Akamaru and threw them both off of him, making Hughes scream in utter disbelief. Akamaru yelped at being tossed about...and he was still urinating too.

And now, said urine was being sprayed about, striking Monster Academy in various areas one by one. Poor Dracula got the worst of it. He had been so close to the...ahem...splash zone, the urine got in his eyes, making the vampire stumble about, shrieking at his misfortune.

Kiba's mouth dropped open in shock at how well that plan worked. It actually went even better than he imagined. "SWAMP MAN!" Hughes yelled. "Where are you going!"

Kiba and Akamaru watched as Swamp Man ran out of view, clearly disgusted and embarrassed at being covered in dog urine. Kiba and Akamaru both looked at Hughes like he was incredibly stupid. "Couldn't you have forced him to stay with that Command Tact thing of yours?" Kiba asked curiously.

Hughes froze in place before he spun around and began banging his head on a nearby tree in frustration. "I was totally grossed out by your stupid pee strategy!" Hughes yelled in anger. "I got distracted!"

Kiba then noticed that he had marked just about every student of Monster Academy. Even Medusa, who seemed oblivious to the fact that the liquid on her was urine and not some other kind of liquid. He smirked. "Well, we'd be pretty stupid not to take advantage of such a unique opportunity, boy." Kiba said to Akamaru. "You ready to let the wolf loose?"

Akamaru barked in response. "Here we go then!" Kiba yelled. "Inuzuka Style: Man Beast Transformation Combo: Two-Headed Wolf!"

Hughes' eyes widened when Kiba and Akamaru transformed into a two-headed wolf monster. "Crap, not this nonsense again."

"Here we go!" Kiba growled. "Wolf Fang Over Fang!"

And with that, Kiba and Akamaru began spinning at insanely high velocities, and began barreling into the remaining members of Monster Academy, one by one. Hughes could only watch in horror as his monsters were wiped out with the greatest of ease. Dracula, Wolf Man, Gill Man, and Frankenstein were all sent hurtling into the air before falling limply to the ground.

Medusa was all that was left. "Damn it, trump card time." Hughes muttered in frustration. "Medusa, turn them to stone!"

 _I really didn't want it to come to this, especially when they are like this._ Hughes thought. _Once they're turned to stone, they'll come out of this crazy spin and the momentum will cause them to break apart! Damn it, I don't want that on my conscience but I have no choice!_

Medusa removed the bandages over her eyes and looked right at Kiba and Akamaru. Hughes closed his to avoid accidentally looking at Medusa's eyes. He was still vulnerable, after all.

Then, not even a second after Hughes had closed his eyes, the officer heard the sound of a pained hiss. He opened to see the two-headed wolf standing over a knocked out Medusa triumphantly.

Hughes' eyes bugged out in disbelief. "EH?" He yelled. "No way! How did you not turn into a freaking statue?"

What Hughes failed to realize was that Kiba and Akamaru spun so fast in their Wolf Fang Over Fang, their vision was blinded from the velocity. So, with that in mind, the two instinctively kept their eyes closed and relied on their sense of smell, tracking each target with the scent of Akamaru's urine. Why keep your eyes open when it is impossible to see?

Kiba and Akamaru quickly transformed back to normal. "Just drop that stupid wand of yours and surrender, Hughes." Kiba calmly told him. "You're outmatched here. Animals always remember what they can hunt, and what they can't hunt. That's how the food chain is made, after all."

"And right now," Kiba continued, crouching like he was about to pounce, "you are way beneath the both of us on the food chain."

"D-damn it," Hughes cursed in disbelief, "outmatched again."

"Fang Over Fang!" Kiba and Akamaru spun around each other, barreling towards Hughes.

Hughes sighed, closing his eyes and waiting. _Totally not awesome._ He thought in defeat.

Hughes remained surprisingly calm and composed as Kiba and Akamaru barrelled into him, sending him spinning into the air and then hitting the ground, unconscious before landing. Kiba and Akamaru came out of their Fang Over Fang, both giving triumphant, fanged grins. "You may have your pride," Kiba acknowledged, "but so do I. There's no way in hell I'm going to lose to someone who doesn't even believe in his own cause."

"That's not your fault. You were dealt a really crappy hand in this new life of ours." Kiba sympathetically noted. "But again, I've got my pride too. And that means I ain't losing to anyone's puppet."

"Just because I'm not going to be Hokage, doesn't mean I can't be the best Ninja the Hokage could possibly ask for." Kiba revealed the full depths of his new goal.

Shikamaru wanted to be the best advisor Naruto could ask for, and Kiba wanted to be Naruto's ultimate weapon. It was the least he could do for a dear friend and the rival who bested him on the path to Hokage.

Meanwhile, Wyper and Sugarboy stared each other down, ready for battle. "Okay," Wyper took aim with his Burn Bazooka, already ready to blast him away, "I haven't had a real battle in this entire war. Even if things have gotten more peaceful in Skypeia, I cannot deny that my Shandorian blood burns for a battle like this."

Sugarboy chuckled. "My, my, my," he teased, "a classic battle freak, eh? Well then, my Rosa Espada and I would be more than happy to give you the fight you seek, before we're forced to send you to Hell."

"You'd have to drag me down pretty far to take me to Hell." Wyper smirked. "I do live in the sky you know."

Wyper quickly pulled the trigger and a line of fire blasted towards Sugarboy. The battle freak of the Shandorians was quick to make the first move. Sugarboy chuckled and ducked underneath the flames. "I can't help but feel like you've triggered me." Sugarboy noted. "I lost my beautiful hair to flames you know."

"This time though," Sugarboy growled, "I'm not going to fall for that nonsense. I move with the agility of rushing water, like liquid."

Sugarboy then stabbed the ground, liquifying it. "This new armor of mine is specially designed." He explained. "I can now skate across the liquified ground now, regardless of its original properties, thus increasing my speed. Now, try to keep up Shandorian!"

Sugarboy began skating towards Wyper across the liquified ground. Sugarboy raised Rosa Espada in the air. However, the Edolas Officer was surprised when Wyper suddenly rocketed forward, skating across the ground with his own gear. The Shandorian quickly ducked underneath Sugarboy's first stab. Then, displaying an impressive amount of flexibility, Wyper delivered a powerful kick to Sugarboy's jaw, making the man's head whip backwards from the force of the impact. The blow was further amplified by Wyper's skate using its thruster to boost the power.

"Too bad for you." Wyper told him. "I'm used to skating on surfaces like these. Or do I have to keep reminding you that I come from the sky."

Sugarboy quickly recovered and chuckled. "You know, it's strange, with my hair like this, I really don't care about keeping up the appearance of some dandy man any longer." He admitted, wiping the blood from his lower lip. "Yes, this must be how Knightwalker feels in the presence of a truly mighty opponent."

Sugarboy moonwalked away from Wyper, sliding across the liquid ground. And yes, he actually did moonwalk. "The raw, manly might of two men clashing with each other. I must admit, it's far more thrilling than I expected." Sugarboy declared.

Wyper scowled. "Once upon a time, I thought the same way." He noted. "And while I still enjoy the rush of battle, I have learned there is more to life than war."

Wyper rocketed forward on his skates. "For example, a big part of life is protecting something, like the newfound peace the people of Skypeia bled for, for hundreds of years!"

Sugarboy trained his Burn Bazooka on Sugarboy, intent on shooting the man point blank. Sugarboy grinned and ducked underneath the bazooka. He then stabbed Rosa Espada upwards, quickly liquifying the weapon.

"Damn!" Wyper cursed.

"Moron," Sugarboy taunted, "even if you have an honorable, manly spirit, charging in like that is a fool's errand."

Wyper quickly backed away from Sugarboy's Rosa Espada, concerned that the man's blade could liquify his body if not careful. However, his retreat left and opening that Sugarboy was quick to exploit. Lowering his shoulder, Sugarboy slid forward, smashing into Wyper's chest.

Wyper let out a grunt of pain. With that armor of his, Sugarboy's strike actually hurt like hell. "When I'm finished with you, you're going to wish I still had my Burn Bazooka, you bastard!" Wyper promised.

"Oh? Common sense states otherwise, friend." Sugarboy noted.

Wyper smirked. "Well, prepare to have common sense changed. Allow me to introduce the might of the Reject Dial!"

Sugarboy's eyes widened as Wyper brandished a red dial from Skypeia, which did indeed look like a seashell, just like the stories said. "The Reject Dial is the mightiest, most dangerous dial in existence, meant only to be used by someone with the resolve to fight and die!" Wyper declared.

"You are crazy," Sugarboy hissed, "if what you claim is true, the Reject Dial harms you as well! And do you really want to use such power on someone who's been indoctrinated?"

"At what point does an excuse like that wear out?" Wyper inquired curiously. "Puppet or not, you're still doing the bidding of a truly evil god! And I won't allow that god to have his way, whether it means just cutting the strings of his puppets, or smashing the puppets to pieces!"

Sugarboy's eyes widened. Thinking quickly, he stabbed Rosa Espada forward to try and liquify the dial, only for Wyper to pull the Reject Dial away at the last moment. Now wide open, Wyper delivered a haymaker to Sugarboy's jaw, making him stumble to the side.

"A trick?" Sugarboy's voice was distorted due to his messed-up jaw.

"The oldest trick in the book, and you fell for it." Wyper noted. "Like I'd use the Reject Dial on smallfry like yourself."

Wyper pocketed the Reject Dial. "That was to find out just how far your blade's powers reached. And now I understand that you can only liquify inanimate objects."

Sugarboy chuckled, wincing from his busted jaw. "I have to admit, you are something odd." He commented. "But, I suppose there is something to be said about the odd thought process of a man with a warrior's spirit."

"Anyway, you're right, Rosa Espada can only liquify inanimate objects. And what of it? It still cuts like any other sword. How do you expect to win if you cannot get close to me?"

"You're right, I can't." Wyper noted. "Which is why I'm going to charge right in and give you the full fury of Shandora."

Sugarboy could not help but grin. "Yeah," he said eagerly, "there really is something to be said about the manly spirit of a heated battle!"

Wyper sped forward on his rocket-powered skates. "Come on then, Shandorian!" Sugarboy yelled with glee. "Give me everything you've got!"

 _If he's that unwilling to use his trump card, then I've got the upper hand._ Sugarboy noted. _As honorable as handicapping yourself is, this is still war, and that makes you more of an imbecile than a man of honor._

 _And now that he's handicapped…_

"I'm a step ahead of you!" Sugarboy yelled out, swinging Rosa Espada at Wyper's head, intent on decapitating him and ending this fight.

Wyper quickly ducked and opened his blue Alliance blazer, revealing a muscular chest draped in various dials attached to belts. Sugarboy's eyes widened. "Are those…" he trailed off.

"Damn straight," Wyper quickly removed one dial from his many builts, "I'm afraid you're wrong, Sugarboy. I'm the one who's a step ahead! In fact, I'm a hundred steps!"

Wyper shoved the dial straight into Sugarboy's armored chest. "Impact!" He yelled.

And with that, Sugarboy took the full force of an Impact Dial. The man screamed in pain as his pink armor shattered from the blast, sending him flying in the air. The former officer of Edolas could only gape in pain and shock as he came crashing back down onto earth.

Sugarboy wheezed in pain, struggling to remain conscious, rendered immobile by Wyper's decisive blow. "How did that happen?" He wondered. "Impact Dials are supposed to absorb the kinetic impact from attacks. You just pulled one out and clicked on it like it was nothing...how…"

"You underestimated how prepared I came to this fight." Wyper revealed. "It's true, even though I've been in the heat of battle throughout this war, I haven't had much of a chance to make a name for myself like my ancestors."

"However," Wyper continued, "that doesn't mean I've been lazing about. In every fight I've participated in, I've been storing kinetic energy from every soldier I've come to blows with. And I've stored it all for the moments where I come across ranked soldiers like yourself."

Sugarboy's eyes widened, unable to believe how crazy prepared Wyper was.

"I fight not just for glory, but I fight for victory." Wyper revealed. "That means, I have to always be prepared for the next battle, in order to protect the peace that Skypeia and Shandora came together to achieve."

"This war has been going on for awhile now, and yet you didn't have the foresight to constantly prepare yourself for the next fight." Wyper explained to Sugarboy. "That is the real reason you lost."

Sugarboy could not help but laugh. "I guess you could call it a bad habit. Edolas has always run on finite magic...so we never really thought much for the future, just the present. Heh, we were so worried about losing magic _now_ , we never once considered what kind of future we'd be creating with our actions. I guess, in a way...you could call that stagnation."

"Yeah...I guess we do kinda deserve to lose if you want to bring up reasons like that...of course, there are way bigger reasons we deserve to lose."

Sugarboy let out one final wheeze. "Keep going forward, you're going to need to keep preparing yourself...for when the day comes that you come across enemies way worse than me." And with that, Sugarboy lost consciousness.

Wyper nodded in understanding. He then found himself repeating a new creed he had adopted, in honor of Shandora's new allies. _Keep fighting,_ he reminded himself, _not for glory, not for Shandora, but for peace. But not just peace for Shandora. Peace for all worlds. Never again forget...that true warriors are selfless._

Wyper felt the ground shift around him and saw that the formerly liquified ground was now back to normal. "Guess it's over." He noted.

"Not bad, dude." Wyper looked over his shoulder to see Kiba and Akamaru walking past the knocked out Hughes. "You really had to have taken it to 'em, huh?"

Wyper nodded. Kiba grinned and clapped Wyper on the shoulder. "With skills like that, I'm glad you're on our side." He complimented. "Now come on, let's keep pushing. We don't want to be left in the dust by everyone else, don't we?"

 _Working with others...working with non-Shandorians._ Wyper thought to himself. _Even as a member of God's Guard on Skypeia, the thought of it still seems so foreign sometimes._

Wyper could not help but smirk a little. _Seeing the kinds of victories that can be achieved through working together...I have to admit, there is something to be said about it all._

The truth is, two years ago, while rummaging through Shandora's old ruins, Wyper came across a very telling message from his ancestor, the Great Warrior, Calgara.

" _I will probably die, never seeing my dear friend Noland again."_ It read. _"Noland, my friend, wherever you are, I hope you know how much our friendship meant to me. My accomplishments in battle alone, paled in comparison to the accomplishments we shared."_

Back then, Wyper was still uncertain of what would happen if the Shandorians and the Skypeians came together in a shared nation. However, those final written words from the legendary warrior himself had been what truly convinced Wyper.

And so, Wyper dedicated himself to not just fighting for victory, but for what victory was supposed to bring. He fights for peace now.

Elsewhere, Lucy Heartfilia brandished her Fleuve d'etoiles before Foxy, smirking confidently at how this fight was going to go. Foxy looked like a guy who was in the midst of a midlife crisis and was considering getting a gym membership in response. He did not look like he would be much of a threat to her.

However, Foxy still looked quite confident himself. "Fehfehfehfeh," Foxy laughed gleefully, "such a beautiful lady before us, yes?"

"Yeah, Boss!" The Foxy Pirates cheered in agreement.

Foxy grinned. "Okay, boys!" He continued. "Bust out those mirrors, it's time for the Foxy Pirate Funhouse!"

"Right, Boss!" The Foxy Pirates cheered obediently before several of them ran away from Foxy and Lucy.

"Foxy Pirate Funhouse?" Lucy gazed at Foxy in confusion.

Foxy grinned, holding his hands out in front of him as though he were taking aim at Lucy. "Lovely lady, come over here to our side." Foxy tried to bring her over. "We'll treat you real nice. We'll love you long time!"

"Ick," Lucy muttered, reaching into her pocket and taking out a single gold key, "well, I want to end this quickly, so I guess fight annoying pervert with another annoying pervert."

"Okay, Open, Gate of the Golden Bull, Taurus!" Lucy yelled, as the axe-wielding cow-man known as Taurus appeared in front of Lucy with a loud lowing.

"The only one who's allowed to leer at Ms. Lucy's bodacious body is me, so you get a moo-ve on, bucko!" Taurus yelled.

"Now you listen to me you stupid cow! I'm allowed to look too!" Foxy ranted.

"And now, Star Dress: Taurus Form!" Lucy yelled, transforming into the cow-like bikini that was the Taurus Star Dress.

"WHOO!" Foxy and the remaining Foxy Pirates cheered with glee, eyes turning to hearts at the sight of the most curvaceous, buxom blonde in all of Fairy Tail.

"Taurus!" Lucy yelled.

"Ms. Lucy!" Taurus yelled. "If I blow them away, you'll give me a s _moo_ ch, right! Rampage!"

Taurus slammed his axe to the ground, creating a shockwave that tore towards Foxy. "Now time for my Foxy Dodge!" Foxy "stylishly" leapt to the side, avoiding Taurus' Rampage. "No Devil Fruit powers, Haki, or any other fancy tricks folks! Just raw, physical prowess of a handsome man!"

"More like a stupid man!" Lucy was upon Foxy, bringing her fist back for a mighty blow to the stomach that she was certain would down him.

"Stupid? Not me!" Foxy declared dramatically, pointing his hands at Lucy. "Slow-Slow Beam!"

Lucy's eyes widened when she was suddenly enveloped by a strange beam. "Ms. Lucy!" Taurus yelled in concern.

 _What...what happened?_ Lucy wondered to herself. _Why did I suddenly slow down? These powers...are they Devil Fruit powers?_

Lucy then heard Foxy and his men whooping and hollering perversely. "Men, I hope you know how much I love you all!" Foxy declared

Then, out of the bottom corners of her eyes, Lucy was treated to the slow-mo jiggling of her large breasts. Foxy and the Foxy Pirates were enjoying the amazing sight of Lucy's body jiggling slowly in all the right places. If she were able to blush, she would have. _Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!_ Lucy yelled in her mind. _What is wrong with this guy? He's put me on display like this? Where's Taurus? I need his…_

Lucy then heard the sound of what appeared to be choked gargling. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Taurus foaming at the mouth in a catatonic state with hearts in his eyes. He was utterly captivated by the sight of Lucy's body in slow motion.

 _...Why did I think I could count on him when I like this?_ Lucy lamented.

Foxy then leapt backwards as Lucy suddenly found herself moving at a normal pace again. She turned red with embarrassment and rage. "You sick pervert!" She shrieked. "What is wrong with you? Is that what you use your Devil Fruit for?"

"Fehfehfehfeh!" Foxy laughed. "No, but it's not every day I come across a beautiful buxom blonde such as yourself."

"Either way, my Devil Fruit is truly a blessing from the gods if I can do something like that! Yes, that is the power of the Slow-Slow Fruit!" Foxy declared.

"Captain Foxy, you're the best!" The Foxy Pirates yelled as blood poured from their nose like miniature waterfalls.

"Ugh, talk about rotten luck." Lucy groaned. "Taurus, snap out of it, I need your help."

"I can moo-ve on to the afterlife with no regrets." Taurus could only mutter, still practically catatonic, much to Lucy's irritation.

"You are useless!" Lucy screamed with embarrassed rage, holding up the key. "Now go back to the Celestial Spirit World and take like a hundred cold showers!"

Taurus let out one last moo as he went back to the Celestial Spirit World. Lucy groaned in irritation as her attire changed back to normal. "Stupid perverted bull-man." Lucy muttered, unable to believe how useless Taurus could be sometimes.

"Oh, how adorable, you're embarrassed?" Foxy grinned. "My word, you are the whole package, baby! Sexy, spunky, and enough shame to be demure!"

"Oh shut up, jerk!" Lucy screamed. "It's not like I want to be looked at by creepy perverts like you! It's not my fault that I got my mom's genes!"

"Fehfehfeh," Foxy laughed with a dark grin, "you should be proud of your beauty. I am."

"We're back, Boss!" Foxy's other subordinates yelled, returning with full-length mirrors. "The Foxy Pirate Funhouse is ready to go!"

Lucy turned her attention to the mirrors with a confused expression on her face. "Foxy Pirate Funhouse...wait, you were seriously creating a funhouse? Like those funky mirrors in the carnivals?"

"Fehfehfehfeh! I see you're not just a dumb blonde!" Foxy taunted. "Indeed, when we say Foxy Pirate Funhouse, we mean it literally!"

Lucy watched as the Foxy Pirate Funhouse surrounded her. "So, what exactly is the point of this? What, do you think I'm so vain I'll freeze at the sight of my own good looks?"

"Fehfeh, sorry but not even close." Foxy grinned. "Did you know that the Slow Slow Fruit's Slow Slow Beams could reflect off of reflective surfaces...like mirrors!"

Lucy's eyes widened. "Oh crap." She muttered as Foxy held out his hands in front of him.

"Slow Slow Beam: Dance Dance Revolution!" Foxy yelled, firing the beam at Lucy.

Lucy was quick to jump to the side and avoid the Slow Slow Beam, only to look over her shoulder and see the beam get reflected by the mirror directly behind her. "Oh crap!" She yelled, jumping again to avoid the beam.

"Fehfehfeh!" Foxy cackled as the beam reflected off of another mirror. "Dance, Blondie, dance!"

Lucy could only let out a scream that seemed to be a mixture of terror and frustration as she now found herself dancing like a maniac to frantically avoid Foxy's Slow Slow Beam: Dance Dance Revolution. Foxy then laid down on his stomach to watch Lucy's dance from a better angle. "Moving around like this, I'll get a nice little peek up your skirt, Blondie." Foxy said with a perverse grin. "Fehfehfeh, I wonder if you're a good girl who wears something cute, or a bad girl that wears something lacey and sexy!"

Lucy grimaced at how openly perverse Foxy was being. At this point, Foxy seemed less about winning the fight, and more about getting nice looks at her in compromising positions. Growling in frustration, Lucy grabbed her skirt and kept it held down, making sure it did not move up and show her panties to Foxy.

"Oh, don't be shy." Foxy taunted. "If you suddenly lose focus like that, you might get hit by my Slow Slow Beam. And when that happens, you'll be wide open."

Lucy grimaced. "So basically I have to die from embarrassment or die in battle? Agh! Both of those are equally terrible!"

Foxy just laughed at Lucy's frustration. Lucy, thankfully, remembered at that moment she had a whip. And when the Slow Slow Beam moved past her once more, the blonde Celestial Wizard decided to end the forced dance party and cracked Fleuve d'etoiles, shattering the mirror that the Slow Slow Beam was moving towards.

Coincidentally, it was also the mirror that Foxy was directly behind. Foxy's confident demeanor was wiped away as the smug pirate's mouth gaped. Him and the pirate now holding the shattered mirror screamed in terror as they frantically leapt away to avoid the errant Slow Slow Beam.

This caught Lucy's attention. _Wait, he dodged it too?_

Immediately, Lucy realized why and deadpanned in utter frustration and annoyance. She was 110% done with this nonsense, especially when there was such an easy solution right in front of her. _Why even use powers like that when they can backfire?_ She wondered.

Lucy sighed and took out a particular key from her pocket. "We're done here, Foxy." She told him. "I'm so done with your nonsense, it's not even funny anymore."

"Open, Gate of the Twins!" Lucy yelled. "Gemini!"

Two tiny blue creatures materialized next to Lucy. "Piri piri!" The twins Gemi and Mini danced about in front of Lucy.

"Whoa, those little things are actually really cute!" The Foxy Pirates cheered with awe at the two twins.

Lucy smirked. "Gemini!" She pointed at Foxy. "Transform into that guy!"

The twins took one look at Foxy and gazed at Lucy with visibly sad expressions on their faces. "Do we have to?" They replied in unison, making Foxy visibly deflate at that statement.

Lucy sighed. "I don't like it any more than you do, but we kinda need to win this. I mean, I wouldn't be able to show my face if I lost to a guy like this."

"Okay, Lucy," Gemi said to her.

"We'll do it, if it's for you." Mini added.

And with that, the twins transformed into a perfect replica of Foxy. "Whoa, there are two bosses now?" The Foxy Pirates exclaimed in surprise.

Lucy smirked. "Three's company though, Star Dress: Gemini Form!" Lucy transformed into a far more conservative Star Dress and what looked like a jester's hat to top it all off. "Now, as much as I don't like the idea of it, time for me to transform too!"

And with that announcement, Lucy also transformed into a perfect copy of Foxy. "Whoa, now there are three bosses!" The Foxy Pirates yelled.

"This is identity theft!" Foxy accused, pointing a long bony finger at the twins and Lucy. "This is also just, straight-up rude! You can't copy me! I'm the OG! There is only one Foxy! Change back, right now!"

"Fehfehfeh!" Lucy and the Gemini Twins laughed with Foxy's laugh. "No rule that says copies can't beat the original."

And so, the two copies of Foxy took aim at Foxy with a very familiar pose. "Slow Slow Beam!" They yelled in unison.

"GYAH!" Foxy screamed in terror as he was now forced on the defensive.

The Lucy-Foxy ran forward, picking up a mirror shard. "Gemini!" Lucy-Foxy yelled, tossing the mirror shard behind Foxy.

"Slow Slow Beam!" Gemini-Foxy fired another beam at Foxy.

Foxy shrieked again and ducked underneath the beam. However, what the Foxy Pirates Captain failed to realize was that the mirror shard, which was still in midair, was thrown for a reason. And much to Foxy's horror, the angle the beam was fired, allowed it to be reflected by the shard, right into Foxy.

Foxy was left unable to scream now as he was frozen in place from the Slow Slow Beam. "Here we go!" The two copies yelled in unison and rushed in to land the final blow on Foxy.

"Megaton Nine-Tailed Rush!" Lucy-Foxy and Gemini-Foxy yelled in unison as they both delivered a barrage of punches into Foxy.

"BOSS!" The Foxy Pirates yelled in horror, mortified at the sight of their boss being dealt such devastating attacks.

Why they did not just step in, the world may never know…

When the two let up on their respective Megaton Nine-Tailed Rush, a single second was left on the Slow Slow Beam's effects. "Game over." Lucy and Gemini transformed back to normal.

And with that, the Slow Slow Beam wore off fully, and all the damage Foxy had accumulated from the Megaton Nine-Tailed Rush hit him at once. Foxy let out an inhuman shriek as he was sent hurtling into the air. His body caved in multiple places from the punches. When Foxy landed on the ground, he looked like he had been trampled by a stampeding herd of elephants.

"BOSS!" The Foxy Pirates yelled again.

Lucy smirked triumphantly. "I really have grown." She said before smiling in remembrance. "I have definitely come a long way from when I met Natsu in Hargeon. Hard to believe how much I've grown."

Lucy then gazed at the Foxy Pirates. "Okay, who wants to go a round with me next?"

"We're good, Mistress!" The Foxy Pirates immediately fell to their hands and knees and bowed in respect to the beater of their captain.

Lucy's eyes bugged out a bit at her new title. "Mistress? Ugh, that's just creepy. Virgo calling me 'Princess' is bad enough."

"Okay, enough of that." Lucy told them. "Just knock yourselves out so that we can take out you prisoner."

"Yes Ma'am!" And with that, the Foxy Pirates began knocking themselves out, one by one.

"Piri piri," the twins chuckled, "way to go, Ms. Lucy, you really took it to 'em!"

Lucy grinned. "Well, I am a soldier and a Fairy Tail Wizard, aren't I not? I've got to act the part." She bragged proudly.

"Okay, you can head back for now, Gemini." Lucy told them. "I don't want to drain my Magic Energy too much, just in case someone a bit more challenging than these guys show up."

"Call us whenever you need us, Ms. Lucy, piri piri!" The twins yelled in unison as they returned to the Celestial Spirit World.

"Ms. Lucy!" Lucy was immediately joined by several Alliance footsoldiers. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, yeah, no worries." Lucy smiled brightly at her fellow soldiers. "As you can see, I totally went to town on these fellas."

"Amazing, Ms. Lucy!" A young footsoldier said in reverence. "I can't believe how strong you are."

Lucy blushed. "Oh come on, don't give me all that, you're embarrassing me. Just tie these pirates up and we'll call it good, kay?"

Elsewhere, Zommari Rureaux heaved a sigh as Rock Lee dropped into his Ferocious Fist stance. "I see, so there's no going back, huh? You've resigned to your fate, human?" He inquired.

"I have only resigned myself to victory, Zommari Rureaux." Lee told him. "Let me make something clear, in the name of the Flames of Youth, you won't beat me."

Zommari sighed again and drew his Zanpakuto. "And now you die." Zommari told him, vanishing in the wind.

Lee remained calm, allowing Zommari to speed towards him. He could see Zommari raising his blade to gore him through the chest. _He's fast._ Lee smiled. _But I'm much faster._

"Hiyah!" Lee yelled, punching Zommari right in the chest.

Zommari was stopped dead in his tracks from the hard punch to the ribs. However, Zommari's body immediately faded away, much to Lee's surprise. "Gemelos Sonido." Zommari appeared behind Lee. "You fell for my magic trick, foolish human!"

"Huwah!" Lee threw a fist back straight into Zommari's jaw, making the Espada stumble backwards.

"Ugh!" Zommari grabbed his jaw in pain.

 _That hurt...that actually hurt. That human punched right through my Hierro like it was nothing!_ Zommari realized.

"But how?" Zommari demanded, his voice muffled slightly by his swelling jaw. "How could you have reacted fast enough, I was sure I had outpaced you!"

"It appears you don't seem to yet understand the opponent you've picked out, Zommari Rureaux." Guy smirked, taking a seat in a meditative position. "That will be your downfall."

"What do you mean?" Zommari demanded. "Do you honestly believe this brat can outpace me?"

"Well, in that case it's not that Lee can outpace you. He can, but that wasn't what it was. It's more that Lee's reflexes are so great, there's just no way to catch him off guard." Guy explained. "I've trained Lee to be a mighty Taijutsu master since he was a Genin. And because of his genius-level work ethic, he has greater reflexes than even Observation Haki users. In fact, he'd be so youthful if he got Haki, I'm not sure I'd be able to beat him."

Lee turned around to face Zommari. "If I may, Mr. Zommari." He said politely. "I shall strike you now."

Lee vanished into a slipstream and immediately appeared in front of Zommari. "Leaf Hurricane!" Lee yelled, kicking Zommari right in the neck.

"UGH!" Zommari yelled in pain, stumbling off to the side from the kick.

Zommari quickly recovered and glared at Lee. "Insolent human bastard, I am Zommari Rureaux!" Zommari screamed before recomposing himself. "Fine then. I suppose I only have myself to blame. No, of course I don't have myself to blame. Can I truly be blamed when I'm caught off guard by the species I feast on? No, you are nothing but an anomaly, boy."

"Anyway, if you can catch and keep up with me now, I suppose I'll simply have to up the pace, you miserable human." Zommari decided.

"Up the pace, thank you, that does sound like it would make this fight more enjoyable!" Lee jovially agreed with Zommari's assessment.

Zommari gazed at Lee in disbelief. _Human mongrel...how could he be so eager to fight, knowing who he is facing?_ Zommari wondered to himself before feeling his sore neck. _Still, that kick actually hurt. How could a human's kicks be so strong?_

Lee quickly removed his weights and casually tossed them to the side. Zommari's eyes widened briefly as they hit the ground with loud crashes, creating craters. Quickly regaining his composure, Zommari raised his Zanpakuto again. "Never forget that you asked for this, fool!" He yelled, vanishing into the slipstream with Sonido again.

Lee watched as he was surrounded by five Zommaris at once. "Is this like Naruto's Shadow Clones?" He wondered to himself.

"Gemelos Sonido," Zommari explained, "I can create clones of myself with my incredible speed. Among the Espada, I am the fastest. Think of them as afterimages that stick around and aid me."

The clones of Zommari all rushed Lee simultaneously. Lee, however, kept a close look at all of them. _Strange,_ he thought to himself, _they are all rushing to attack me, and yet four of them are relaxed, even though they are holding a sword and ready to strike. The only one who is actually tensed up and ready to attack is the one right behind me._

Lee nodded in understanding. "I see," he said, "so it's nothing like Naruto's Shadow Clones. They're just a cheap, un-youthful imitation."

This caught Zommari off guard. "Cheap?" He exclaimed in disbelief.

Lee then leapt into the air, spinning about. "Slicing Leaf Hurricane!" Lee yelled, firing off a circular blade of air that expanded outwards.

Four of the Zommaris could only grunt as they were cut through by Lee's new variation of the Leaf Hurricane. Those four faded out of existence. The fifth, Zommari, however, gasped in pain as the Slicing Leaf Hurricane slashed through his chest, stopping his assault dead in its tracks.

"Impossible!" Zommari yelled in disbelief. "Was that...the Six Powers' Tempest Kick?"

"Not impossible at all! As someone who has worked hard for his strength, taking the Six Powers style and making it my own is a trivial matter! The fruits of my labor are the Flames of Youth!" Lee declared. "I could've attacked you and you alone, Mr. Zommari, but I wanted to make it clear your Gemelos Sonido had no effect on me."

"No, you couldn't have figured out my Gemelos Sonido, you only saw it twice." Zommari growled, clutching his bleeding chest.

Lee smirked. "So you claim, but you forget that you face a Taijutsu Specialist!" Lee reminded him. "I am more familiar with the human body than you think, especially when a body is in the heat of battle."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Zommari demanded.

"Everything," Lee claimed with a smile, "when preparing to attack, the body naturally tenses up because of its muscles. However, none of your clones did. They went through the motions. Their muscles were relaxed, in spite of giving off the illusion they were about to attack. Which means your clones cannot actually hurt me!"

Zommari gasped at how quickly Lee had figured him out. For a guy who seemed like he was all-muscle, Lee was phenomenally perceptive (as long as the subject was battle). "I must ask you to try a bit harder, Mr. Zommari." Lee told him. "I have fought with and against foes who utilize clones that can actually attack. Something like this doesn't scare me at all!"

Zommari gripped his Zanpakuto, visibly trying to keep himself from blowing a gasket in anger. "I'm sorry to say this," Lee continued, "but the simple fact is right now…"

Lee vanished in a slipstream once more and immediately appeared in front of Zommari, throwing a powerful punch to the stomach. Zommari's body tensed as his eyes bulged. _Impossible...how could I be losing ground to a human...I can't be beaten by our prey!_

"...I'm a step ahead of you." Lee declared.

Zommari stumbled backwards, clutching his stomach. "Hwah!" Lee backflipped and kicked Zommari in the jaw, knocking him onto his back.

 _What the hell...it's like something out of a nightmare. It's got to be a joke, a big, freaking joke. Why are these humans so much more difficult to hunt and devour than the humans from my world? Humans...are supposed to be at the bottom. That's how it is. Humans are the cattle which we feed on._

 _They're not supposed to stand up to us! They're not supposed to disrupt the order of things! What is this nonsense?!_

"Excellent work, Lee!" Guy congratulated his pupil. "You have truly grown strong in preparation for this campaign!"

"Thank you, Guy-Sensei!" Lee cheered gratefully. "But I'm still not yet nearly as strong as you!"

Zommari rose to his feet. "Damn humans...who do you think you are looking down on your betters? I eat you filth for sustenance!" He snarled. "How dare you try to rebel against your betters? You are nothing but food for us!"

Zommari let out a furious roar. "I won't lose to you, humans!" He declared. "Your lives are mine to do as I please!"

Zommari then clapped his hands together in a meditative position as his Zanpakuto floated in front of him. His neck horrifically bent sideways at a perfect 90 degree angle. "Subside," he said, "Brujeria!"

Zommari vanished in a cloud of smoke. "Stupid, stupid humans." He sneered from inside the smoke. "You cannot look down on someone higher up than you on the food chain. What you do goes against nature itself! As the 7th Espada, I will now right this tragic injustice, and set nature back on its intended course! You will all pay for looking down on me!"

"Be prepared, Lee," Guy said sternly, "he's serious now."

Lee nodded. "Excellent," he said, "I would be concerned if he wasn't serious at this point. It'd be un-youthful to continue striking him if he remained the way he was."

Zommari then revealed his Resurrecion to Lee and Guy. Zommari had gone from the 7th Espada to the Pink Pumpkin Man. To anyone else, he would have looked utterly ridiculous. However, to lunatics like Guy and Lee…

"SO YOUTHFUL!" Guy and Lee yelled in utter glee at the sight of Zommari's Resurrecion, catching the Espada off guard.

"Umm...excuse me?" Zommari muttered quietly.

"Such vibrant colors like our green jumpsuits!" Guy geeked out at the sight. "In another life, pink would've been perfect for youthfulness!"

"I couldn't agree more, Guy-Sensei!" Lee exclaimed in agreement.

Lee then almost immediately turned serious. "However, sad as it is to admit, those youthful colors are being worn by someone who is most un-youthful. Even if he were youthful, it doesn't change the fact we are enemies."

Guy nodded in understanding. "Your maturity and understanding of the situation is admirable, Lee." Guy kindly told him. "Now, go and finish this fight."

Zommari regained his composure and glared at both Guy and Lee. "There you go again, underestimating me, treating this fight like it's already been won! Have you forgotten who you're dealing with! I'm the 7th Espada! I worked hard to get to this point! I kicked weaker predecessors to the side to get my rank! And yet you humans think you can just look down on me like I'm nothing! You have no right to look down on anyone! You're the most fragile existence in the universe!"

A single eye then opened on Zommari's pumpkin body. "Amor!"

Lee was visibly grossed out by the sight. "Eyes do not belong there." He muttered before losing all feeling in his left arm.

Lee looked to see an eye tattoo on his arm. Before he could comment on it, the arm reached out on its own and grabbed him by the throat. The grip immediately tightened, cutting off Lee's air and choking it.

"Miserable fool." Zommari taunted. "The power of Amor. I intoxicate whatever my eyes fall on and place them under my control, like I have done to your arm!"

"I will make you spend your final moments gasping for air!" Zommari vowed. "I will make you pay for underestimating me!"

Guy gazed at Lee in slight concern. _What will you do now, my most youthful student?_ He wondered.

Then, much to the shock of both Guy and Zommari, Lee raised his right arm and brought his fist down on his own arm, shattering it in a single blow. Zommari gasped in disbelief at Lee's lack of hesitation. _Not again…_ He fearfully thought to himself.

Lee gasped for air as his broken arm fell limply to the side. "Not my most youthful solution, but it was the best thing I could come up with." He admitted.

"Lee, are you sure that was the wisest move?" Guy inquired curiously.

Lee gave Guy a confident smile. "Guy-Sensei." He said to his mentor and father figure. "Compared to the times my body has been broken before, this is nothing, I promise. As long as my soul remains youthful, I can do anything!"

Guy nodded in understanding and smiled. "Then as your Sensei, I give you my full blessing to finish this."

Zommari was still frozen in shock. Why has every opponent he has fought against almost always come up with the same idea? How do these people do it so easily? Do they not know handicapping themselves only increases the likelihood of their own deaths? So why? Why? Why? Why? Why?

This just was not fair. Humans were fragile, they should not be so willing to sacrifice parts of themselves to continue the fight. What drove them so?

"Time to end this, Zommari Rureaux." Lee told him. "It is time to open the Eight Inner Gates!"

Zommari gasped, realizing he had let himself be distracted. "No!" He yelled, opening more of his eyes. "Amor!"

"Gate of Opening!" Lee yelled as Chakra suddenly exploded around him in a visible Aura. He vanished from sight before Zommari could catch him in his Amor technique.

Guy, knowing this was about to get dangerous for even him, leapt away, vanishing from the battlefield. "Damn you!" Zommari screamed as eyes all around his body opened up.

"Gate of Rest, open!" Lee was heard yelling, though he could not be seen. "And, Gate of Life, open!"

"Amor! Amor! Amor! Amor!" Zommari screamed. "Damn it, just stop moving! You are under my power now you bastard!"

What Zommari failed to realize, and what Lee was not going to bother explaining to him, was that Amor relied on the ability to see the target. Lee was moving so fast, Zommari's eyes just could not keep up. And with Zommari's trump card made utterly useless against Lee's inhuman speed, Zommari was, for lack of a better term, doomed.

 _Now to finish it!_ Lee declared to himself.

Zommari gasped in pain as he was suddenly kicked in the chest, sending him airborne. Before Zommari could fully comprehend what had just happened to him, Lee, who was still untrackable, began striking him from all over, batting Zommari around like a tennis ball.

Zommari was then batted into the air, all fifty of his eyes now blinded by Lee's brutal strikes. "Why, damn it?" He wondered out loud. "I got to where I was by knocking weaklings off to the side. People like me...they aren't supposed to be looked down on. Thinking you can go against the natural order...that's the epitome of arrogance!"

"Nobody's looking down on you because they're arrogant, Mr. Zommari!" Came Lee's voice. "People look down on you because of your rotten, un-youthful personality!"

"What?!" Zommari honestly could not comprehend that statement.

Lee then appeared above Zommari. "Hidden Lotus!" Lee yelled, delivering a devastating palm strike to Zommari's chest that shattered his ribs and sent him tumbled to the ground.

"GYAGH!" Zommari could only scream in pain as he fell figuratively from the pedestal he had put himself on, and literally from Lee's devastating strike.

The 7th Espada hit the ground hard and immediately reverted to his normal form. Zommari's mouth was wide open in disbelief and pain. His arms were splayed out. And he was black and blue all over from Lee's devastating assault.

Zommari was down and out, and between both the physical and mental beating he had received, he was done for. Lee landed and gave a victorious thumbs up. "Victory, Guy-Sensei!" He cheered.

Guy revealed his presence once more, tears of joy in his eyes. "You've made me so proud, my boy!" He cheered back.

Lee began running towards Guy-Sensei, one broken arm flailing about and the other open wide. "Guy-Sensei!" He began joyfully weeping as well.

"Lee!" Guy ran towards Lee with open arms as well.

Yeah, I am not going to bother explaining what happened next…

Meanwhile, Rojuro Otoribashi, affectionately referred to as Rose by his friends, continued his struggled with the indoctrinated Zabuza Momochi. "Play, Kinshara!" Rose yelled, transforming his sword into a golden, spiked whip.

Rose let out a yell as the spiked whip flung itself towards Zabuza, who easily parried the attack with his Executioner's Blade. Zabuza quickly moved through a few one-handed signs. Rose's eyes widened at the sight, one-handed signs were something he was unfamiliar with. "Water Style!" Zabuza yelled. "Hundred Spears of Death!"

Rose watched as several large formations of water took the shape of what appeared to be stakes of holy. This was a Jutsu that Zabuza had based off of Haku's Thousand Needles of Death. Whereas Haku's Jutsu focused on speed and precision, Zabuza's technique was all about raw power. It certainly showed quite the difference in their personalities.

Rose then watched as with a flick of his wrist, Zabuza directed the Hundred Spears of Death to strike at the Squad 3 Captain. Rose quickly twirled Kinshara in front of him, creating a makeshift shield that dispersed many of the spears before they could come too close to him. However, a few spears managed to get through his defenses, cutting through his sides, his legs, and one that even embedded itself in his shoulder before losing its shape and falling into a puddle.

Zabuza smirked underneath his bandages, impressed by Rose's quick thinking. "You avoided fatal blows, but the question now is, how long can you hold up?"

Zabuza was one of the rare exceptions among Coalition soldiers. He recognized his failings in the past, and as such had begun training to improve his body, albeit, against his own will. In other words, Zabuza was vastly different from the Zabuza that Squad 7 had fought against all those years ago in the Land of Waves. He was a new man. A new puppet, as well, granted, but much stronger all the same.

Zabuza then drove his giant blade into the ground and sped through tens of Hand Signs. "Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!" He yelled as a giant water dragon appeared behind him.

"Oh dear," Rose could only mutter as he prepared to defend himself from Zabuza's water dragon.

Meanwhile, in a surprise twist, it was Haku putting Bartolomeo on the defensive. Much like Zabuza, Haku had improved immensely since the war began. The young, effeminate looking male was motivated by multiple desires. One, to protect Zabuza; two, to help his opponents grow in strength; three, an artificial desire to serve Konton, implanted by the Lord of Chaos himself; and four, to one day break free from his indoctrination and take revenge on Konton for tormenting him and Zabuza like this.

"Ice Style!" Haku sped through multiple Hand Signs before palming the ground with both hands. "Ice Fang Jutsu!"

Bartolomeo quickly crossed his fingers. "Barrier!" He yelled, creating a barrier that managed to blog Haku's Ice Fang Jutsu, a sharp, icy spike that would have put a nice hole in his forehead.

Haku smiled sadly. "Right into my trap." He mused. "Ice Style: Ice Flower Shuriken!"

Haku created multiple masses of ice in the shape of sharp flowers that were then launched like boomerangs that moved around Bartolomeo's barrier, cutting him in multiple places. "Damn, I can't beat this boy...girl...whatever, if I only defend myself." Bartolomeo realized quickly.

Bartolomeo dropped the barrier. "Homage: God's Fist!" Bartolomeo yelled as a sphere formed around his fist. "Barrier Barrier Pistol!"

"Ice Style: Ice Shield Jutsu." Haku quickly formed a defense of his own that blocked Bartolomeo's punch.

Thankfully, Bartolomeo's offensive power was enough to push through Haku's shield, forcing the Ice Style-user to retreat. "With the power of Luffy on my side, there's no way I can lose!" Bartolomeo proudly declared.

Haku frowned slightly. "Beneath his lunacy, he's actually very strong. He's proven himself to be a good test of my improved strength."

"Okay, let's see if I can end you with an attack you can neither defend nor dodge!" Haku declared. "Ice Style: Titanic Glacier!"

In an instant, a massive glacier appeared, enveloping Bartolomeo. The glacier itself was so large, it almost reached the height of the mountain in the dead center of Risky Red Island. Haku almost fell to one knee after using that technique. "Titanic Glacier...as powerful as it is, it is appropriately draining." He mused. "I should avoid using it unless I really have to."

"My apologies," Haku addressed Bartolomeo, even though he knew he would not be able to hear him, "I wish things were different."

As soon as Haku said that, the top of the Titanic Glacier suddenly shattered. "What?" Haku was surprised.

What Haku did not know was that in that split second, Bartolomeo had the foresight to create a cube-like barrier that kept him from being fully enveloped in ice, and as such able to counter and break out. So, he used Barrier Crash to expand his cube-like barrier outwards until it broke out of the ice, freeing him in the process.

"Barrier-bility!" Bartolomeo yelled as he suddenly came sliding down the ice on a barrier. "Snowboard!"

Haku gazed up at Bartolomeo in surprise before smiling. "So, we continue." He mused. "Fine then."

Elsewhere, Uroko the Outlier found himself frowning in slight frustration as he gazed out at the island before him. "They're pushing our forces back." He muttered. "Guess that means we've gotta rely on our Iron Maidens to win this."

"Iron Maidens." Alpha could only say.

"Yeah, I know." Uroko rolled his eyes. "You guys have to fight. That's how it is, welcome to war, Alpha, you big lug."

Alpha suddenly walked past Uroko, much to the scientist's confusion. He saw that Alpha seemed transfixed on something. "What are you looking at?" He inquired before noticing something particularly odd.

A blue shooting star, streaking across the sky…

Then, almost immediately, a mass was dropped in front of them. Flames suddenly sprang up as a pink-haired boy stared down both Uroko and Alpha. "So, are you guys the ones in charge of this unit?" Natsu Dragneel inquired. "I mean, typically the final boss is at the highest point, right?"

Uroko's eyes widened. "Oh crap." He muttered, recognizing Natsu.

Alpha, however, seemed particularly interested in Natsu...as evidenced by him adding a new word to his vastly limited vocabulary. "Strong." He said simply, pointing right at Natsu.

 **AN: In case you haven't figured it out by now, Alpha is inspired by High End from My Hero Academia. And he's about to fight a fire guy...yeah, let's hope things end differently.**


	14. Chapter 14: The Alpha and the Omega

**A.N: Before we begin, I'd like to take a moment to properly apologize for something, in case anyone missed it. On the last chapter, I called out some flamers. What I did not expect was some of my readers to apparently actually track the profiles down and harass a few of them, as one actually reached out to me and said so.**

 **Guys, as much as I appreciate the loyalty, that was wrong and you know it. And it was wrong of me to make things personal like that. I lost my temper and I apologize.**

 **Okay, now that I've got that cleared up, it's time we get to the final chapter of the Risky Red Island part.**

 **Chapter 14: The Alpha and The Omega**

With the horrible sounds of roaring and hissing, the soldiers of the 3rd Fleet were immediately put on guard, knowing just what was making those horrible noises. Gray Fullbuster immediately put his hands together, assuming the Ice Make stance for battle. As soon as he was finished, multiple Iron Maidens came rushing out of the trees. "Freeze!" Gray yelled, freezing a large portion of the area out in front of him, stopping the Iron Maidens, dead in their tracks.

Gray narrowed his eyes, stepping past the frozen bodies. Then, a Brute appeared in a surprise attack. "Ice Make: Shield!" Gray easily blocked the blow.

More Iron Maidens appeared, surrounding Gray. "Well," he muttered, "nobody said this was going to be easy. Okay, jackasses, bring it on."

Elsewhere, Jushiro Ukitake and Cavendish both simultaneously cut down two Iron Maidens. "Ugly freaks." Cavendish snarled. "How dare you taint my eyes with your hideous presence? Die, and never be looked upon again!"

"If I may, has anyone ever told you that you take physical appearances way too seriously?" Ukitake noted, standing back to back with Cavendish. "Keep this up, and people are going to think you're full of yourself. In fact, I'm pretty sure they already think that."

"I'm full of nothing but myself." Cavendish responded with a smirk. "Because I know I'm great. If confidence is king, I shall be emperor."

"That's...an odd way of explaining your self-confidence." Ukitake pointed out.

"Confidence increases strength. If you don't believe you're as great as you are, you'll never amount to your own greatness." Cavendish explained. "I'll always believe I'm strong and beautiful. No one will have me believe otherwise."

Cavendish then smirked at Jushiro over his shoulder. "Considering I've cut down more of these monsters than you, I'd say it's working. Honestly, at least try to keep up with me."

"Hey now," Ukitake smiled nervously, "no need to start competing with me. I've always been more methodical in my approach to battle."

"That being said," Ukitake continued as his old competitive spirit, from his academy days with Shunsui Kyoraku, flared up, "if I _actually_ tried, I'd leave you in the dust, Cavendish."

Cavendish chuckled. "Now look who's trying to compete with the emperor." He joked. "You're not going to like the results, Captain Ukitake."

Ukitake just chuckled and the two leapt at the crowd of Iron Maidens once more. Elsewhere, Tsume Inuzuka and Kuromaru were working together, ripping the metallic beasts limb from limb. Tsume was counting throughout the process. "6, 7, 8, 9!" Tsume counted out with each Iron Maiden she ripped apart.

Kuromaru then ripped the throat out of another Iron Maiden. "That's 10," Tsume grinned at Jinbe, "come on, Jinbe, I'm going to start thinking you're not even trying at this point. That's 10-2 now. Get good, or I'm gonna leave you in the dust."

Jinbe took one look at Tsume and smirked. "Well, I certainly don't like losing." He admitted. "Okay, Ms. Tsume, I suppose I'll take you up on your challenge."

Jinbe then stepped forward at charging quadrupedal Iron Maidens. "Fish-Man Karate," Jinbe brought his fist back, ready to strike, "Arabesque Brick Fist!"

Jinbe punched the air in front of him. There was a delay of a few seconds as the quadrupedal Iron Maidens neared Jinbe. Then, each Iron Maiden's face in the crowd started contorting. Jinbe, Tsume and Kuromaru all watched as the Iron Maidens were all sent flying by the enormous shockwave from Jinbe's punch.

Jinbe then turned his attention back to Tsume and smiled. "I counted about twenty in that crowd." He said. "Perhaps we'll call it 22-10 now?"

Tsume chuckled sheepishly, realizing she was outmatched. "...Maybe we can call it a draw?" She suggested. "I mean, if we can't properly count it, then it shouldn't count, right?"

"Some prideful pack leader you are." Kuromaru muttered, making Tsume glare sharply at her longtime animal companion.

Jinbe chuckled, turning his attention to more crowds of Iron Maidens converging on them. "They are certainly numerous in number, just like the reports from the previous campaigns mentioned." He mused. "The Coalition is certainly good at stocking their forces with expendable assets. Guess armies that don't really give a damn about their own would be good at something like that. It's almost sad, in a way. Good thing these creatures don't seem to have feelings."

Jinbe turned back to Tsume. "If they're going to attack us together, why don't we do the same?" He suggested. "Don't you want to try and catch up?"

Tsume smirked and stepped up to Jinbe's side, Kuromaru in tow. "And here was me thinking you were 'Mr. Serious.'" Tsume joked. "Okay, Jinbe, let's see if the shark can best the wolf. Round 2 now. It's time for my comeback."

Meanwhile, the Strauss Sisters were working together to fight their own bunch of Iron Maidens. "Evil Explosion!" Mirajane yelled, disintegrating several with ease.

Lisanna, in her Animal Soul: Tigress form, climbed onto the shoulders of one Iron Maiden. "Tigress Claws!" Lisanna yelled, clawing out the throat of the maiden, making the beast collapse with a terrible cry.

"Nice job, Lil' Sis." Mirajane complimented before joking. "Those claws of yours are getting stronger every day. If Natsu ever wises up to how you feel about him, I'd honestly be worried for his safety."

Lisanna laughed at that. "Still can't compare to you, Mira." She noted.

"You shouldn't try to," Mirajane shook her head, "you're your own woman, Lisanna. Be proud of that, and win Natsu over."

Lisanna blushed at how blunt her sister was. Where was this coming from? Mirajane never openly supported Lisanna's feelings for Natsu like this. She seemed more on deck with the idea of Natsu and Lucy getting together. Shaking those thoughts away, Lisanna decided to focus her efforts on the remaining Iron Maidens.

Then, she heard the sound of fire exploding in the distance. She looked up to see a pillar of fire on the highest mountain. "Natsu," she immediately realized who that was.

Haku briefly paused in surprise from the sheer intensity and volume of Natsu Dragneel's magic power. "Is that really what an Act of Order's energy feels like. It's so intense even from far away!"

 _And this is probably how strong Naruto has become since that day on the bridge._ Haku realized. _I see...I suppose I should be glad. You've found the strength to protect what's precious to you without fail, Naruto my friend._

"RAH!" Haku leapt in surprise at the sudden scream of Bartolomeo. "Great Master Natsu is giving it his all and here I am struggling with some gender-confused ice-user!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Haku yelled. "I'm fully aware I am a boy! It's everyone else who can't seem to figure that out!"

"I cannot be bested! Great Master Natsu is doing his best and I'm in such a pathetic state!" Bartolomeo screamed. "Power of my heroes, come to me!"

Haku just stared at Bartolomeo in other disbelief. "He was holding his own but was slowly being pushed back, and now it's like he has a second wind. Words alone cannot describe how strange this man is."

Bartolomeo then raised his right arm in the air, gripping his wrist with his left hand. "Homage!" He yelled. "God Sword!"

Haku watched in utter confusion as a barrier sword formed over Bartolomeo's arm. "HA!" Bartolomeo let out a loud kiai to symbolize his burning spirit, powering up past his own limits so that he may impress his idols.

Please note, the narrator is vastly exaggerating here and is actually just saying what Bartolomeo thinks he is doing. In reality, he is just standing there, screaming like a lunatic, and weirdly enough it was actually making Haku pause to stare at Bartolomeo in confusion. "My blade, is the blade that will cut down all enemies of my great masters!" Bartolomeo declared. "Take this! My love, my hope, and all of my sorrow!"

"Wh-what?" Was all Haku could say.

"Barrierbility!" Bartolomeo yelled, charging Haku. "Zangetsu!"

At that moment, Haku realized his mistake. "Damn, I was distracted by this lunacy!" He hissed, speeding through a few quick hand signs. "Ice Style: Ice Wall Jutsu!"

"It's not a Getsuga Tensho, but it can still crush your puny ice!" Bartolomeo screamed as the wall of ice appeared between him and Haku. "HIYAH!"

Haku's eyes widened as soon as the blade came into contact with his ice wall. The wall shattered almost immediately, and the Ice Style-user was struck in the side by the blade. Thankfully, it was a blunt sword due to being made of the same materials Bartolomeo used for his barriers, but still. Imagine being hit by a giant baseball bat at full force. That was exactly how Haku felt right now, made especially evident by the sound of his left arm cracking from the blow.

"GAH!" Haku yelled in pain, realizing at that very moment, that beneath Bartolomeo's lunacy, may have very well been a superior fighter.

He underestimated him, and he paid the price…

"Haku!" Zabuza Momochi yelled in concern when he noticed his partner and closest friend being struck by Bartolomeo's Barrierbility: Zangetsu.

The former Mist Ninja had attempted to surround Rojuro Otoribashi with a small force of Water Clones. Rose took advantage of Zabuza's distracted state and struck. "Okay," he said, "time to unveil my new sonata!"

Zabuza and the clones watched as Kinshara suddenly seemed to act with a mind of its own. The golden whip darted out back and forth, seemingly extending itself as it moved around Zabuza and the clones, creating a scene that looked like infrared lasers that secret agents would have weave their way through.

"The hell is this?" Zabuza demanded.

Rose just chuckled at Zabuza's confused state. "I already told you," Rose said, "this is my brand new sonata. Even the great Beethoven was only able to manage 32 in his short but eventful life. I fully intend to surpass that number with my own music. A music of destruction that you will experience!"

"A forest of destructive music that brings doom to all who hear it! Kinshara Sokyoku Dai Nijugoban!" Rose yelled as he plucked the end of Kinshara like a guitar string. "Jukai!"

The vibration reverberated across Kinshara before enveloping Zabuza and the Water Clones in a massive explosion. Rose was protected by the blast for the most part, due to maneuvering Kinshara away from him. Make no mistake though, he would have been in grave danger, had he not been careful.

Then, when the dust settled, Zabuza was revealed to still be standing, albeit injured from Rose's attack. "Damn, I let myself get distracted like that." Zabuza muttered in frustration. "I must be losing my touch."

"Or perhaps you simply haven't gotten used to being human yet, Demon of the Hidden Mist." Rose suggested before smiling kindly. "There's no shame in losing focus due to concern for your friends. That's what sets us apart from the truly evil in this world."

Zabuza scowled. "And what does that make you for taking advantage of my distraction?" He asked curiously.

Rose chuckled. "I'm just trying to end this as quickly as possible so neither of us has to suffer too much. Just be glad I'm not really making some music with my Bankai."

Rose took note of how tough Zabuza now seemed. He was charred from the explosion, but was not giving any indications he was about to fall over. _Unreal,_ Rose thought to himself, _he's only a human, but his durability is incredible. It's like he doesn't know how to fall in a fight unless he's dead._

Rose could not help but smile in respect. "A true warrior of determination. Oh, how my soul sings your praises, Zabuza Momochi."

Zabuza grimaced at Rose's odd way of saying he thought he was cool. "Umm...thanks?"

Rose then retracted Kinshara, ready to strike again. "I have every intention of saving you, Zabuza." He promised. "If you doubt anything else from my intentions, never doubt that."

Zabuza could not help but grin fondly at Rose. "For what it's worth, I hope you do. I've lived life as both a demon and and a man. And honestly, I've tried to deny it for so long, but I can't any longer."

"Being a man is better than being a demon." Zabuza admitted. "Please...save Haku and me from this jackass with the god complex. I don't care what you have to do. And if you can't save me, then at least save Haku. He's far too gentle to be a part of this."

"We're going to save you both." Rose promised. "Never forget that what sets the Alliance apart from the Coalition, is that we care about the lives of everyone, even our enemies. The only reason we kill is because some will only continue to kill, unless they're stopped. Respecting the value of life isn't just never taking a life, it's making sure others can't do the same, by any means necessary."

Meanwhile, at the top of Risky Red Island's highest mountain, Natsu Dragneel continued to burn up in excitement at the thought of facing off against the Iron Maiden known as Alpha. "That Iron Maiden looks like he's raring to go." Natsu noted. "I'm getting fired up too!"

"Strong!" Alpha roared, crouching down like a gorilla.

Uroko's eyes widened at how eager Alpha seemed. _This is the most expressive Alpha has ever been. Without a doubt, this is something Master Sagi is going to want to hear about. Most of the time, Iron Maidens are single minded creatures that only care about death and destruction. For one to show this much excitement and desire for something other than slaughter is...strange. Is it perhaps because they are mixed with Black Steel Gajeel's DNA? Or is this simply the natural evolution of intelligent life?_

 _Both theories are possible. Dragon Slayers are naturally battle-seeking warriors because they were raised by dragons._ Uroko noted. _And when intelligent life is first evolving, it follows its baser instincts first and foremost, such as its innate desire to fight and prove its superiority over others._

 _Once this is over, I'll present my findings to Master Sagi._ Uroko decided with a smirk. _Findings like these, he'll have to promote me._

And with that gleeful thought, Uroko gave his order. "Do it, Alpha!" Uroko yelled, pointing at Natsu.

Alpha roared eagerly, pounding its fists against the ground. Natsu dug his feet into the ground and smirked as Alpha began rushing him like an actual gorilla. Natsu held his hands out in front of him and grabbed onto the intelligent beast as soon as it was near. The ground cracked beneath Natsu's feet, showing the effort Alpha was making to push him back, and the effort of Natsu to stand his ground.

"Splendid, simply splendid." Uroko grinned. "Alpha already as the raw physical strength to put Natsu Dragneel in a stalemate. To think the Iron Maidens have already evolved to such a point. This may very well be science's greatest achievement, to create intelligent life that can be effectively used as a weapon of war."

Uroko's monologuing was suddenly cut off by a cheer. "Get him, Natsu!"

Uroko looked up to see Happy the Exceed, flying around and cheering Natsu from a safe distance. "An Exceed?" Uroko mused. "Perhaps once this is over, I should collect that one? I know Master Sagi was interested in studying the lifeforms of other worlds."

And by study, he meant that Sagi had every intention of finding out just what made strange lifeforms tick. That included screwing with Happy's nerves just to find out what hurts him. "This day just gets better and better for my career." Uroko grinned.

As if getting a horrible reminder not to tempt fate, Uroko heard the sound of metal scraping against a scabbard. Instincts flaring up, Uroko spun around and leapt away before Rukia Kuchiki managed to take his head off with a single swing.

"People keep getting onto this damn mountain!" Uroko growled in frustration. "What the hell is going on here? What are those idiots doing?"

Rukia smiled. "Never underestimate a girl who's resolved herself to see this through until the end."

Uroko sighed. "All those soldiers down there and all the Iron Maidens, and a few hotblooded idiots still manage to get through? This was unexpected...very unexpected. It's been months since the previous campaign. Your improvements go beyond what we expected…"

Uroko managed to regain his composure. "Well, looks like if you want something done right, you do it yourself."

Rukia watched as green scales suddenly appeared on Uroko's skin, his entire top was ripped off by layer of scales. "Let's see you cut me down now, Soul Reaper." Uroko said. "My Scales will stop your blade dead in its tracks. And now, I will have you brought under heel and brought to Master Sagi for experimentation. Your body will help Rakuen's scientific endeavors."

Rukia gazed at Uroko in confusion. "A mad scientist that can take on lizard-like qualities? Why do I feel like I've heard this before? Renji might've mentioned something like that before…"

"Don't ignore me!" Uroko yelled, now looking like a pissed off dragon, thanks to the scales on his body. "I'm a big freaking deal!"

"Sure, sure." Rukia brushed Uroko off. "Now come on, let's see if you actually can match up with me, Lizard Man."

"My name is Uroko." Uroko growled. "You will remember it while Master Sagi is experimenting on your body."

Uroko sped towards Rukia with the Vanishing Walk. The Squad 13 Lieutenant calmly blocked the Outlier's scaly fist with her Zanpakuto. "You know, honestly, all your powers are good for, are scaring the crap out of people." Rukia immediately explained. "Whether you're lizard, human, or Watcher, you guys burn all the same."

"Hado #33, Sokatsui!" Uroko was suddenly blasted back by a blue fireball from Rukia's free hand.

Uroko grunted and landed on his feet. "Why you…"

"My name is Rukia Kuchiki," Rukia said, "you will remember my name when you're thinking about how much of a big disappointment you are to your boss."

Uroko hissed like an actual lizard, preparing to strike at Rukia once more. No way in hell was this damn midget going to get in the way of his promotion. No how, no way!

While Rukia began her duel with the Outlier known as Uroko, Natsu finally managed to gain the strength to push Alpha off of him. "Those are some muscles you've got there, Metal Man!" Natsu grinned, lighting his fist on fire. "Fire Dragon Iron Fist!"

Alpha roared as it was briefly pushed back from the force of Natsu's fiery punch. The iron beast then dug its large heels into the ground. Natsu watched as the creature bent its back to an amazing, 90-degree angle and stopped itself from going further back. The Dragon Slayer grinned in excitement. This was going to be fun.

Natsu quickly rocketed upwards with fire at his feet. "Fire Dragon Roar!" Natsu yelled, enveloping Alpha in his Dragon's Roar.

There was a sudden disturbance in the flames, as though something were moving inside of it. Alpha then emerged from the flames right in front of Natsu, having straightened itself out and then leapt into the air. Shrieking Alpha threw a haymaker straight into Natsu, knocking him back to the ground. Thankfully, the Dragon Slayer managed to land on his feet.

"That actually stun a little." Natsu admitted. "Haven't taken a hit that hard since my last sparring match with the guys."

Alpha landed on its feet as well and continued pressing its assault on the Dragon Slayer. "Fire Dragon Wing Attack!" Natsu threw his arms forward, sending two waves of fire at the Iron Maiden.

Alpha saw the flames coming towards it and shrieked at the sight. Then, it held its arms up and Natsu watched as the wrists began contorting before expanding into what looked like shield-like gauntlets. He then watched as the flames struck the gauntlets, and much to his shock, the creation of those gauntlets allowed Alpha to shrug off the attack with ease and keep charging as though nothing happened.

Then, his right hand grew foot long talons. Natsu quickly ducked underneath the first swipe before being grabbed by the other hand. "Hands off!" Natsu yelled, igniting his entire body on fire, forcing Alpha to let go of him.

Alpha gazed at its hand, noting that the intensity of Natsu's flames, and such close proximity had actually melted it slightly. Natsu then watched as the melted hand regenerated back to normal.

"Okay, that's hardly fair." He muttered, annoyed with Alpha's abilities already.

 _Okay, so far he's got regeneration and can transmute his body into various kinds of things like those gauntlets and the claws._ Natsu noted. _Damn it, Gajeel, you just had to accidentally give them this kind of monster!_

Alpha shrieked once more, drawing Natsu's attention. "You want to go again, huh?" Natsu inquired.

Alpha rushed Natsu once more, Natsu ignited his whole body in flames. "If you can regenerate, I guess I'll just have to burn you to nothing before you get the chance." Natsu immediately deduced.

Before Natsu could put that plan into action, however, Alpha swept its claw across the ground. Natsu gasped in surprise as dirt and dust got into his eyes from Alpha's surprise move. "The hell? That's a cheap shot, pal!" Natsu yelled.

Natsu was then punched in the stomach by Alpha, sending him off his feet. The Dragon Slayer managed to land on his feet and rubbed the dirt and dust out of his eyes, only to see that Alpha was not letting up. Natsu barely managed to block Alpha's next attack, but was pushed into the ground, creating a crater around him.

"Damn it," Natsu realized what was going on, "is this thing learning as it fights? None of the Iron Maidens from our campaign in Fiore showed this kind of thinking!"

 _Yeah, they evolved in response to certain threats, but they never showed the intellect to actually strategize? This is crazy!_

Natsu then grinned. _Who am I kidding? It's also exciting as hell! Now I'm really getting fired up now!_

"Fire Dragon Sword Horn!" Natsu rocketed upwards, pushing Alpha off of him once more. "Followed by, Fire Dragon Comet Fist!"

A long-ranged version of Natsu's Iron Fist, the Comet Fist fires a powerful ball of fire from Natsu's fist that strikes the enemy with the force of an actual comet. Alpha shrieked in pain as it was struck in the chest by Natsu's Comet Fist.

Natsu then watched as Alpha's slightly melted chest regenerated from the blow. "Oh, that is going to be seriously annoying." Natsu growled.

Alpha then roared and held out the palms of its hands towards Natsu. Long spikes then shot out of the palms like spears, making Natsu frantically duck, yelping in surprise at the sudden attack. "Okay, that transmuting crap is going to be seriously annoying too." Natsu noted.

Alpha then leapt towards Natsu, who quickly noticed something odd. By the way he had already peaked from his jump, he could tell that the beast was not going for a direct assault like it had before. Which of course begged the question: what was it going to do instead.

Natsu got his answer when spikes suddenly sprouted from Alpha's back. They then bent and contorted like the tentacles of an octopus and launched themselves towards Natsu. "Oh crap!" Natsu yelled as he quickly weaved his way past the tentacles.

"It _is_ learning as it fights!" Natsu realized. "It knows I can melt it down to scrap, so it's trying to avoid a direct confrontation with me!"

Spikes then appeared from Alpha's torso that were then launched at Natsu. "Oh come on, how is that even fair?" Natsu demanded as he was forced to frantically dodge the spiked projectiles like an able gymnast.

Alpha just shrieked in response, as though it understood Natsu's irritation with its growing intellect and evolutionary capabilities. "Strong, but stronger!" Alpha yelled.

Natsu grimaced at Alpha's behavior. Alpha's tendril like spikes sprouted from its back again and began stabbing at Natsu, who managed to avoid them with all the speed of an Observation Haki-user. Which was actually pretty impressive, considering that Natsu had no such thing yet. Guess there was something to be said about the instincts of a Dragon Slayer after all.

Not just the instincts, but also the senses. Natsu's sense of smell was so great, he could detect the exact location of each of Alpha's tendrils before Alpha actually launched his attack. Combine that with his excellent vision, Natsu could actually pinpoint the trajectory of Alpha's tendrils, and as such, figure out the best way to dodge them. For a guy who was frankly as dumb as his counterparts, Natsu was extremely sharp when in the heat of battle.

In fact, if we are taking a moment to be honest, it was actually a good thing for anyone who had to fight him that he lacked all forms of Haki. God only knows how much of an untouchable beast the Dragon Slayer would be if he did. Even veteran Haki users like Charlotte Katakuri would find Natsu to be a tough customer if his insane senses and instincts were further improved by Haki.

Alpha hissed in acknowledgement, as though it realized that its current approach was not going to fly against Natsu as he was now. _If he's learning as he fights,_ Natsu thought to himself, _then I can't drag this out for too long. I've gotta end this as quick as I can before he figures out a way to beat me._

Natsu's flames grew in their intensity. _Dragon Sage Mode has improved, but if it fails to bring him down, I'll be defenseless._ Natsu noted. _So I'll just have to use what I've got at my disposal to win._

And with that thought, lightning began dancing around Natsu's body as he stared down Alpha. Alpha, for its part, was looking at Natsu with even greater interest than before. It was as though Natsu had now become his only focus in life.

In reality, Uroko's theory was correct, Alpha was a beast who had only recently gained intelligence and reason, so it still had the primal instincts of sentient life. Namely, to assert its dominance over another lifeform.

"Here we go," Natsu grinned, "time for Lightning-Flame Dragon Mode."

"You may be able to regenerate, but everything's got a limit!" Natsu declared to Alpha. "Even you! So that means there's a limit to just how much punishment you can take before you drop to the ground! I'm going to keep hitting you until I find that limit!"

Then, much to Natsu's surprise, Alpha began laughing. It was a guttural laugh, like a monster was laughing (and a monster was laughing, so that was a pretty accurate comparison). But, it was still a laugh. Being a member of Fairy Tail, a guild that prided itself on family, adventure, smiles and laughter, Natsu knew a laugh when he heard one.

And boy, was it creepy hearing this thing laugh. It was like it was amused at the thought of Natsu trying to find its limit. "Die...before…" Alpha said.

Natsu grimaced at those words. It was not smart enough to speak in complete sentences, but even he could tell what he meant by that. 'Die' was pretty straightforward, after all.

Chucking those thoughts away, Natsu launched himself forward, lightning crackling at his feet to increase his speed. The Dragon Slayer moved so fast, he vanished into a streak of golden yellow. Alpha let out a shriek as it transmuted its right arm into a scimitar. He was going to cut Natsu in half the first chance he had.

Natsu appeared in front of Alpha, covered in both lightning and flame. Alpha shrieked again and swung its arm blade at Natsu, only for Natsu to suddenly ignite his feet and rocket above the swinging blade with ease. Alpha looked up at Natsu, its dead, soulless eyes staring into his.

"Lightning Flame Dragon Fang Cannon!" Natsu yelled, holding an open palm out before firing, a lance of fire with lightning spiraling around it.

Alpha shrieked as the Fang Cannon pierced his chest, thankfully not going out the other end. Its body was a bit too tough for even Natsu's attacks to just pierce right through. The beast managed to land on its feet and glared at Natsu as its chest wound started to close up thanks to its regeneration abilities.

Natsu, however, did not let up. In this form, he was as aggressive and fast as an actual bolt of lightning. He was going to vaporize Alpha. Alpha, however, had no intention of going down without a fight. It now transmuted both of its hands into what appeared to be medieval pendulums. Roaring, it stretched its arms outwards to decapitate Natsu. "Whoa, it's got Luffy's rubber powers too?" Natsu leapt into the air, managing to straighten his body to dodge the pendulums by being in between them.

"Okay, so regeneration, transmutation and even the ability to stretch itself." Natsu noted. "Now I'm kinda curious about how many other abilities this thing has."

"DIEDIEDIEDIEDIE!" Alpha screamed, firing spiked projectiles from its body towards Natsu.

"That's a lot of spikes." Natsu muttered before smirking and igniting his entire body in lightning and fire. "Lightning Flame Dragon Exploding Blades!"

Streams of fire and lightning mixed together fired out from the dual-elemental aura around Natsu's body like lasers. The lasers blasted away the spiked projectiles, albeit, they were cancelled out in the process. Thankfully, for Natsu, his were in such greater quantity that a few lasers struck Alpha in multiple areas.

As Alpha regenerated from being struck by Natsu's Exploding Blades, Natsu took a brief moment to cool down. Exploding Blades was a new, unperfected technique. Unfortunately, it caused a bit of a cooldown rate. Thankfully, with Alpha reeling from being almost turned into swiss cheese by his Exploding Blades, Natsu could cool down in peace.

And by the time he did cool down, Alpha was still reeling. This meant that Natsu could smash him to his heart's content.

And so he did, the Dragon Slayer rocketed towards Alpha once more with a burst of fire and lightning and gathered a tremendous amount in his right fist. "Thought I told you, we're going to find out just what your limit is!" Natsu yelled. "Now, take this! Lightning Flame Dragon Firing Hammer!"

Alpha shrieked as it was dealt an explosive punch from Natsu. The blow lifted it off the ground, but then, much to its horror, it found that it was not landing yet. The reason for that, as Alpha would soon discover, was that Natsu had actually punched the thing right off the mountainside. Natsu then leapt over, gathering fire and lightning in the palm of his hand, creating a familiar sphere. "Regenerate from this." He said. "An attack compliments of my bro, Naruto!"

"Lightning Flame Dragon Rasengan!" Natsu yelled, slamming the sphere into Alpha.

Alpha was now practically screaming as the sphere exploded into its chest, sending it rocketing down the mountain. And yes, it was the entire mountain. To take a moment and provide some context for everyone, the tallest mountain on an island on planet Earth, is Puncak Jaya, in New Guinea. That island is just over 16,000 feet tall. Or, just over 3 miles.

The tallest mountain in Risky Red Island, the island in the dead center, is just over 32,000 feet, or 6 miles. Natsu just hit Alpha with enough force to send him shooting down 32,000 feet in about 4 seconds.

Meanwhile, Natsu was knocked back onto the island from the force of his own Rasengan attack. The Dragon Slayer chuckled. "Should've seen that coming." He giddily noted. "My attacks are way more explosive than Naruto's."

Natsu then heard the sound of a satisfying crash. "Whew," he said, "hopefully falling from the top of a mountain is too much for even him to regenerate from."

"That was awesome, Natsu!" Happy flew in, cheering for his best friend's victory.

"It was, wasn't it?" Natsu grinned. "Barely broke a sweat, too. Guess I have gotten stronger since Fiore."

Happy smiled at Natsu, thinking about where he was at the end of Fiore. _Igneel and Lord Chitsujo, they both did so much for Natsu to bring him back to where he once was before. I don't know if he's really moved on from what happened between him and Zeref, and I don't know if he ever will._

 _But still,_ Happy continued, _I am glad that I've got my best buddy back. Igneel, Lord Chitsujo, and you other three Acts of Order too. You'll never know how grateful everyone from Fairy Tail is to you._

Natsu then leapt up to his feet, noticing that Rukia was still fighting Uroko. "Sheesh, she should have ended that fight by now." Natsu deadpanned. "Not like Rukia to struggle with a guy that weak."

"Maybe she's feeling sick? Like a tummy ache or something like that?" Happy childishly suggested.

Natsu shrugged. "She can take care of herself. I'm sure whatever's holding her back isn't too big of an issue." He turned to Happy. "Come on, buddy, let's go find whatever weird, freaky looking device is powering the barrier-thing on the sea."

"I found it while you were fighting that Iron Maiden!" Happy said proudly. "Come on, I'll show you!"

"Way to go, Happy." Natsu grinned. "Let's go smash some crap-"

Natsu was suddenly cut off by an ear-splitting roar. His eyes widened and he went pale with utter fright. Happy's ears drooped. "Umm...that wasn't the Iron Maiden, was it?"

"You've gotta be freaking kidding me." Natsu muttered, looking over his shoulder to the spot he had knocked Alpha off of the mountain.

Then, much to the shock of both Natsu and Happy, Alpha appeared, rocketing into the air before landing gracefully on the mountaintop. Alpha had gotten to its feet, regenerated its injuries and leapt 32,000 feet into the air with a single bound.

"Happy, get back, now." Natsu warned his best friend.

Rukia paused in her fight to take note of the Iron Maiden's return. "You're kidding! That thing still isn't down?"

Uroko laughed. "Of course he isn't! As of now, Alpha is the pinnacle of the Iron Maiden project. A beast that can grow its intellect, improve through experience, and become stronger and more deadly as a result! Why did humanity become the dominant species? Because of its ability to adapt and improve! But with this natural strength, Iron Maidens could very well surpass them!"

Rukia narrowed her eyes. "So this is the natural progression of the Iron Maiden's evolution?"

Uroko smirked. "Not at first," he admitted, "but as we continued to mass produce this bioweapon of ours, something was brought to our attention. That they were growing in intellect. And then, we discovered something truly amazing: a fully functioning, intelligent creature, as far as Iron Maidens go. That was Alpha."

"But it is the natural progression now?"

"If you want to get technical about it, yes." Uroko nodded. "We'll of course be stunting their growth to make sure they're fully dependent on us. But to have such loyal, intelligent beasts at our beck and call...why, it gives us an even greater edge in this war!"

"Good to know," Rukia nodded, "now I can make sure the Alliance learns of this."

"Assuming you get out of here alive." Uroko pointed out.

"I will," Rukia promised, "also, greater edge, you do realize you've been losing, right?"

"It doesn't matter how many times you lose." Uroko countered. "What matters is that you win where it counts."

"...I can't tell whether that's profound, or stupid." Rukia admitted.

Rukia looked back at Natsu one last time. _I'm trusting you to finish that thing off, Natsu, before it evolves so much that no one can beat that thing. I'm counting on you!_

Below the mountain, Kakashi Hatake paused in leading a group of soldiers through an army of Iron Maidens, hearing the roar of Alpha. _I don't like this._ He thought to himself. _Whatever's happening up there, I hope Natsu can handle it._

Kakashi knew Natsu was up there because could sense his Magic Power. It was why he was not necessarily in a rush and was more than content to just lead clean-up below the mountain. However, that roar did make him worry.

But Natsu was every bit the warrior and man Naruto was. So, Kakashi believed in him.

Natsu gazed at Alpha in fear, watching the beast shriek with rage and hate at him. "Seriously, Happy," Natsu insisted, "get away from here. That thing is going on a rampage."

"Are you going to be okay?" Happy asked in worry.

"It's me," Natsu gave his best friend a brave smile, "I've got this. Go find someone at the base. Carry them up the mountain, and have them bust up that device. That's our main mission, first and foremost."

Admittedly, Happy was stunned by Natsu's focus on the mission. Knowing he was right though, Happy flew away from Natsu, intent on finding someone to carry them and destroy the device.

As soon as Happy was gone, Alpha let out one final shriek as its body suddenly expanded to a more muscular state. Then, much to Natsu's concern, devil-like wings sprouted out from Alpha's back. "KILLKILLKILLKILLKILL!" Alpha shrieked.

Alpha dug its feet into the ground, its claws suddenly growing longer. Natsu watched as Alpha dug itself so deeply that the ground actually shattered underneath him. "Oh crap." Natsu muttered, surrounding himself in an aura of fire and lightning.

Alpha's new wings spread outwards as the beast launched itself towards Natsu. The Dragon Slayer gasped in surprise at Alpha's new speed before being grabbed by one of Alpha's claws. Natsu let out a yell as the claws dug into his body.

"Let go!" Natsu yelled as lightning and fire exploded around his body.

Then, much to Natsu's horror, Alpha utterly ignored the lightning and fire dancing around its body and then slammed Natsu into the ground. The Dragon Slayer yelled in pain as it was painfully dragged across the mountaintop.

"Let go!" Natsu repeated, managing to recover enough to punch at Alpha, only for him to shrug off each and every punch. Then, Alpha's teeth actually came out of its mouth like the miniature mouth of a Xenomorph.

Natsu yelled in pain as the mouth of the Iron Maiden bit into the side of his neck. Knowing he had to force that thing to let go of him, otherwise he would actually be at risk of bleeding to death, Natsu grabbed onto the the appendage the mouth was attached to and gripped it hard. "Lightning Flame Dragon Grip Strike!" Natsu yelled, shocking and burning the appendage simultaneously.

This time, Alpha actually shrieked in pain and let go of Natsu. Thankfully, it appeared that even this beast had sensitive appendages.

Natsu yelled in surprise as he was dropped by Alpha. He got to his feet in a daze, only for Alpha to recover and punch him in the stomach, sending him flying. In spite of being dazed, Natsu managed to regain enough of his senses to fire off a roar attack. "Lightning Flame Dragon Roar!" Natsu yelled, firing the attack at Alpha.

Alpha crouched down and leapt into the air, flapping its wings to stay airborne. The beast then quickly dive-bombed Natsu, throwing a haymaker straight into the dragon slayer's face that actually made him spin around, leaving him vulnerable to a follow-up attack. Alpha roared as it fired multiple spiked projectiles that dug into Natsu's vulnerable back, making Natsu scream in pain. Still wide open, Alpha took the opportunity to throw a clothesline straight into the back of Natsu's neck, making him stumble forward in pain.

Natsu finally managed to recover enough to throw a counter attack of his own. "Lightning Flame Dragon Firing Axe!" Natsu yelled, throwing a kick imbued with lightning and flame straight into Alpha's jaw.

Alpha barely flinched from Natsu's kick before it grabbed him by the leg and tossed him into the air. Alpha then flew upwards after Natsu. It then brought its hands together and hammered him back to the ground.

Spikes then appeared on Alpha's feet as it then dove into Natsu, feet-first, impaling Natsu in the stomach with his cleet-like feet now. Natsu let out a silent scream of pain as blood flew from his mouth.

Alpha then kicked upwards, sending Natsu rolling across the ground. Natsu groaned as he slowly got to his feet. _Damn it, I messed up._ He realized. _It not only learned, it took what it learned and applied it to creating a form that could match me blow for blow...even surpass me._

 _It's beefed up body allowed it to tank my fire and lightning spells. And it's using projectiles and sharp attacks to breach my defenses._

Natsu narrowed his eyes. _In the end, I don't have the defensive abilities Ichigo, Naruto and Luffy do. I've had to compensate with destructive power to overwhelm my opponent. But this thing...it's managed to evolve itself into becoming the anti-Natsu._

It almost seemed surreal to see Natsu thinking so much in a fight, but he was smarter than people gave him credit for, especially when it came to battles. It came from being the son of a beast like the Fire Dragon King, Igneel. Next to Luffy, Natsu arguably had the best battle instincts out of the Acts of Order. So he knew when he was in trouble, and this was one of those times.

"I'm not...giving up." Natsu growled. "No way am I going to lose. Not to you. Not after what I've been through."

 _For all my friends...who gave me their love and support when I needed it the most. For my father, Igneel. For Chitsujo, who did so much to bring me out of my grief. I won't let them down!_ Natsu declared inwardly, refusing to give up in the face of adversity.

"You strong, but me stronger." Alpha noted. "Will win...will win...won't lose to weakling."

With that statement, Alpha spread its wings once more. Natsu stood his ground as Alpha flew towards him like a rocket. "Here we go." He muttered. "Advanced Dragon Slayer Secret Art!"

"Flame Lotus: Exploding Lightning Blade!" Natsu yelled, swiping his arms outwards, enveloping Alpha in an explosion of fire and lightning.

 _That had to have damaged it!_ Natsu hoped and prayed to whatever gods would listen at that moment. _Come on, I've gotta slow this thing down before I can hope to kill it!_

"KILL!" Alpha suddenly shrieked, emerging from the lightning and fire.

Natsu gasped at Alpha's state. It had been melted down by the intensity of Natsu's Secret Art attack, but it was still going. This thing just would not stay down, for whatever reason. At this point, Natsu honestly could not tell if it was because of Alpha's desire to prove its superiority, or if it was just as mindless as its brethren, deep down.

Alpha then transmuted one of its hands into a blade, and before Natsu could react, Alpha drove the blade straight through his chest, making him gasp in pain. Natsu's eyes went wide as Alpha lifted him off his feet, roaring victoriously. The Iron Maiden then unceremoniously tossed Natsu off the blade, tossing him off the mountain in the process. Natsu's body limply rolled down the mountain, out of sight and out of mind.

"Stronger...fighters?" Alpha wondered. "Stronger...fighters...here?"

Happy suddenly let out a gasp as he flew Kakashi Hatake to the top of the mountain. "Happy, what's wrong?" Kakashi asked in concern.

"Natsu's Magic Power...it's gone!" Happy yelled in worry. "Natsu! Please be okay!"

With that, Happy sped up, desperate to find out if his best friend was still alive. Back at the top, Rukia Kuchiki only narrowed her eyes, making Uroko chuckle. "I can sense it to you know. It appears Alpha has evolved to the point where even Natsu Dragneel can't hope to beat him."

"Your ally, an important part of the Alliance, too, is dead." Uroko chuckled.

Rukia just shrugged, surprising Uroko. "Maybe, maybe not." She said. "I'm not just going to write him off just yet."

"Huh?" Uroko gazed at Rukia in disbelief.

"Here's a little something you oughta know, Uroko." Rukia told him. "Some fights are for pride, and for Natsu, they are always for pride. So, as a courtesy to him, I never interfere in his fights. Does that mean I'm leaving him for dead? Of course not!"

Rukia then smirked. "Because even when he gets knocked down, he just gets right back up!" She confidently declared. "Natsu Dragneel never loses. None of those guys do."

Uroko scowled. "If you want to take the optimistic route as the hill you want to die on, be my guest." He said. "But make no mistake, you will die."

Uroko's scales grew spikier. "But only after Master Sagi extracts all the data from you that he desires." He vowed.

"I'm not going anywhere." Rukia promised. "I refuse to become helpless once more. My friends won't fight to rescue me, I'll just fight with them."

"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki."

Rukia's Zanpakuto turned pure white, a ribbon sprouted from the end. "Now then," Rukia continued, "I think it's time for a science lesson of my own."

"Huh?" Uroko gazed at Rukia in confusion.

"Don't you know what happens to a lizard in the cold?" Rukia asked curiously.

Before Uroko could reply, Rukia suddenly appeared behind him. "They hibernate." she said in a chilling tone. "You can sleep now, Uroko. Enjoy it, because you are not going to like what happens when you wake up."

Uroko only had time to let out a gasp as he was frozen over completely by Rukia's attack. Rukia took a deep breath. _I told you not to let me down, Natsu._ Rukia thought. _And as I'm sure Ichigo will tell you, I'm the last person you want to disappoint._

 _So whatever's got you knocked down right now, get up!_

As if answering Rukia's demand, a pillar of fire suddenly shot up from the sky. Alpha shrieked in surprise and anger, now sensing a familiar Magic Power. "No. No. NO!" Alpha yelled, clearly in denial. "Dead! Dead! DEAD!"

A streak of fire suddenly leapt into the air. Natsu Dragneel suddenly landed on the ground, looking no worse for wear. However, he did look utterly confused. He took a moment to look himself over, and much to his surprise, all his injuries were gone. "Okay, I know that's not right." Natsu admitted. "I was injured. How are all my injuries healed up already? Did a medic come and help me and I didn't even notice him...or her?"

"GAH! This is so confusing!"

"How...alive?" Alpha demanded, confronting Natsu once more.

"Dude, I honestly have no idea." Natsu admitted. "You stabbed me, which I don't appreciate by the way, I was honestly dying, I blacked out, and then I woke up and suddenly all my injuries were healed. So you tell me what the hell is going on with me!"

"Not...like…" Alpha admitted before giving a monstrous smirk. "...Still...very strong...like that...gonna keep fighting you."

Natsu chuckled. "You know, other than the near death experience, I've enjoyed myself too." He admitted. "You've really lit a fire in me, considering you were my first big battle in this campaign. After everything that happened in Fiore, I wanted this to be the beginning of a whole new Natsu."

"The new Natsu Dragneel, who's life isn't defined by the fact he's only here because of his mad scientist of an older brother." Natsu grinned. "The Natsu Dragneel who's going to carve his own path, with his family and friends by his side."

Flames returned to Natsu's body, even more intense then before. "Honestly, I had held back this whole fight. I didn't want to be caught in a bad situation where I was out of magic and then someone even stronger than you showed up." Natsu admitted.

"Now then," Natsu continued, "why don't I give you a fight from the real, fired up me?"

Alpha roared and flew towards Natsu once more, intent on decapitating him with its blade and ending this once and for all. Natsu easily followed Alpha's movements, noticing the slightest movements in his arm to detect exactly when the beast planned to swing the blade. Natsu then slammed his foot to the ground, rocketing upwards and avoiding Alpha's swipe.

"My turn now," Natsu said calmly, "Flame Dragon King Demolition Fist!"

Natsu threw a mighty haymaker into Alpha's face. The Iron Maiden shrieked as the flames around Natsu's fist exploded, sending it flying back. "And while I'm at it," Natsu said as the Iron Maiden flew back from the force of his punch, "Flame Dragon King Roar!"

The flames tore across the ground, vaporizing them out of existence. For the first time in this entire fight, Alpha had a look of fear on its face as it was enveloped by the flames. Natsu calmly strode forward as Alpha burned before him.

 _You may be a regenerator, but you have your limits, like everyone else._ Natsu noted. _Everyone has their limits. Otherwise, there would be nothing to surpass and grow. That's what it means to evolve, not become what you are, Iron Maiden._

Alpha shrieked and screamed as it flailed about in pain, still on fire and still slowly burning from Natsu's devastating attack. The Dragon Slayer could not help but smirk, genuinely impressed with Alpha's tenacity. It almost made him feel bad. Alpha had the determination of a man, but the reason of a beast.

He had to be put down.

Then, much to Natsu's surprise, Alpha's body contorted horrifyingly before liquid-like tendrils suddenly sprouted from his body. "This again?" Natsu muttered before the tendrils suddenly came towards them.

Natsu's enhanced hearing suddenly picked up disturbances within the liquid-like tendrils. Natsu then gasped as even smaller tendrils suddenly branched out of the tentacles, creating an image that looked almost like tree branches. The Dragon Slayer's eyes widened in realization. Alpha was creating more tendrils to increase the difficulty of Natsu's ability to dodge.

So, Natsu decided on something else. He lit his entire body on fire, allowing the tendrils to burn completely as they came near Natsu. Alpha let out a shriek of surprise as it quickly retracted all of the tendrils. "NONONONONONONONONO!" It furiously chanted.

Natsu calmly advanced on Alpha. Behind him, Kakashi Hatake was suddenly dropped behind him. Happy floated down behind Natsu as well. "You're okay!" Happy cheered.

Natsu simply held out a thumbs up. Kakashi gave Natsu an eye-smile. "Natsu," he said, "I can trust you to finish this off, right?"

Natsu nodded. "Good," Kakashi said with a satisfied smile. "I will go and destroy the device. And Natsu?"

Natsu looked over his shoulder, curious as to what else Kakashi had to say. "You really are an awesome guy." He said.

For all the crap Kakashi for how he handled Squad 7, he was still quite effective in how he treated his subordinates and allies. Something simple like that was perfect for someone like Natsu, who had been struggling with an identity crisis.

Natsu smiled, truly appreciating Kakashi's simple statement. "You're pretty awesome yourself, Kakashi." He said, igniting his body in flames subconsciously and burning the regenerated tendrils once more. Alpha had tried to attack him once more while he was distracted by his chat with Kakashi.

Kakashi casually waved to Natsu, turning his attention to the device up ahead. "I'll leave this to you to finish off then. Come on, Happy, let's give our boy Natsu some space."

"Aye sir, kick his butt, Natsu!" Happy cheered, flying next to Kakashi.

Natsu then turned to Alpha. "Okay then," he said, "time to end this. Sorry, Iron Maiden, but there's nothing you can do now. No matter how strong you are, nothing you throw at me can stand up to the flames of the Flame Dragon King."

Natsu then rushed Alpha while Alpha shrieked and did the same. Natsu and Alpha grabbed onto each other, grappling. Alpha then let out a dark laugh as its body started to harden out of its nearly destroyed, liquid body. Natsu's eyes widened in surprise as Alpha's body practically assimilated with his.

In other words, Natsu was now stuck inside of Alpha's body. It was almost grotesque, like the two had become Siamese twins. "Whoa…" Natsu muttered, shocked at this turn of events. After all the insane fist fights he had with his foes, being assimilated like this was definitely a very new experience for him.

Natsu then regained his composure and smirked, an idea coming to him. "Thanks," he said with all the confidence in the world, "now I'm stuck to you...and can finish you off with one final attack."

Alpha looked down at Natsu in confusion. Then, flames blasted out of Natsu's feet, allowing the dragon slayer to use the force of the ignition to rocket himself and Alpha off the ground. Alpha shrieked in surprise as Natsu blasted them both into the air.

Rukia watched in surprise at Natsu's sudden act before smiling. "It's all over now." She noted triumphantly.

Natsu looked up at Alpha, who was gazing down at the Dragon Slayer in shock. In spite of its limited intelligence, Alpha was smart enough to know what Natsu was doing.

"Let the sky light up...with the flames of hell itself." Natsu grinned. "Let's see you regenerate from this."

Alpha desperately tried to sprout spikes to finish off Natsu, only for Natsu to strike first. "Flame Dragon King Purgatory!"

With that single command, bright flames enveloped the entire sky above Risky Red Island, creating a dark red sky. Everyone gazed up at the fiery sky in shock before smiling, realizing who was responsible. Each one silently congratulated Natsu for his victory.

At the center of this fiery explosion, Alpha could only shriek and scream as the intensity of the flames vaporized it down to the last molecule, leaving it in a state where it was incapable of consciously regenerating its form.

The mightiest of the Iron Maidens thus far, Alpha, had been destroyed by Natsu Dragneel.

As Alpha was burnt to nothingness by Natsu, Kakashi Hatake created a Lightning Blade in his hand as he stared down the device powering the barrier at sea. "Hiyah!" Kakashi yelled, driving his lightning-covered hand into the device, shattering it with ease.

Rose and Zabuza leapt back, both panting from an evenly matched fight. Rose whipped out Kinshara in front of him, still raring to continue the fight. "I promised I'd save you." Rose reminded him. "I'm not going to break that promise."

Zabuza just chuckled as his body slowly began to fade into darkness. "That you did, and I do appreciate it." He said genuinely. "But unfortunately, we're going to have to cut this short for now. With an attack like that, there's no doubt that monster, Alpha is dead. That means, Konton has given up on this island. I need to go back to Rakuen."

Rose responded by wrapping Zabuza up in Kinshara. "Bakudo #61, Rikujokoro!" Six beams of light struck Zabuza from all angles.

"I'm not going to let you escape!" Rose yelled. "We promised we'd do everything we can to save the indoctrinated! I won't allow Konton to use you any longer!"

Zabuza smiled behind the mask. "Rose, seriously, thanks." He said. "But, if you want to save me that badly, you and your allies are just going to have to kick my ass the next time around. I can't make it easy for you guys...but I know you can do it."

With that, Zabuza vanished, making Rose narrow his eyes in frustration and rage towards Konton. "How anyone could use someone like that with no sense of guilt is beyond me." Rose admitted to himself. "Konton's going to pay for this."

"Barrierbility: Pyramid!" Bartolomeo encased Haku inside of a pyramid-like barrier.

Haku frowned slightly at being caught like this. He was a ninja, he should not be trappable. "YES!" Bartolomeo yelled with glee. "I have captured you, in the name of the Alliance, in the name of the Great Heroes!"

Haku sighed. One thing he would not miss was Bartolomeo's bombastic nature. As well as he meant, even Haku found the man to be irritating. Anyway, he was not necessarily captured. Kako could not be restrained so easily.

Bartolomeo's mouth dropped open as Haku's body started to fade into darkness. "You idiot," Haku sighed again, "it was never going to be easy. If you want to save me from this cruel fate that badly, then you're just going to have to try a bit harder."

Bartolomeo's eyes widened. His jubilation was replaced with frustration and grief. "No!" He yelled. "But someone like you...your power could be better served fighting for what's right! I have to bring you back! The most just thing I can do for my heroes...is doing something they would do!"

Haku just smiled. "You know," he said, "annoying as you are...I can't help but admire your dedication. Your heroes...they're precious to you. I have someone who's precious to me too."

"Never forget those precious to you." Haku told him as the ice-user had almost completely faded into the dark. "That love gives you strength. Use it to defeat me properly next time we meet."

With that, Haku faded away. Bartolomeo was left thinking about Haku's final words. First, he came to the same conclusion Haku did. "He was something else." Bartolomeo mused. "And if there really is someone out there who means the world to him...then of course we're the same. Following that logic though, wouldn't everyone be the same deep down? We all have people who mean the world to us."

Bartolomeo sat down cross-legged in contemplation. "But that means Konton's got someone who means the world to him too? But that's impossible, because that guys a bastard."

"Guys who would willingly use people like that...they're incapable of love." Bartolomeo included before narrowing his eyes. "Gender-Confused Ice-Kid, we're gonna save you. I'm going to save you."

"After all," Bartolomeo smiled brightly, "you recognized my love for my heroes! You have no idea how much it means to be recognized for that deep admiration!"

"I wonder if I became more like them?" Bartolomeo eagerly wondered. "All the lines I said during and after the fight...they were the kinds of things they'd say, right?"

And with that, Bartolomeo went off on another whacky tangent…

Meanwhile, as the flames let up, Natsu Dragneel began to fall from the sky, the ashes of Alpha drifted into the wind around him. "Huh," Natsu could only say, "you know, I just realized, I did not plan a landing strategy."

Natsu then smiled. "Not that I ever needed one." He added.

"Bakudo #37, Tsuriboshi!"

An elastic-like cushion suddenly appeared below Natsu, attached to six ropes that stuck to six pillars of ice. Rukia Kuchiki had created the cushion with a look of visible irritation on her face. "That idiot!" She snarled. "Who in the world does something like that with no landing strategy?"

Rukia knew the answer to that question. She had spent way too much time with people just like Natsu.

The Dragon Slayer just smiled triumphantly as he gently landed in Tsuriboshi, his fall cushioned. He looked over to see the pissed off Rukia. "Nice job, Rukia." He complimented.

"Don't you 'nice job' me!" Rukia yelled. "You're lucky I was here, or that would've hurt you! Do you have any idea how many broken bones would come from a fall like that?"

"Nah, I was never worried." Natsu just laughed. "I knew you'd catch me. We're friends aren't we?"

Rukia was taken aback by Natsu's insane amount of faith in her. "Okay, well what if I wasn't here?" Rukia demanded.

"Then Happy would've caught me." Natsu replied. "And if not Happy, someone else. No matter how many times I fall...I know I'll always have my friends to catch me."

Rukia was once again take aback by Natsu's faith. Her anger melted away as she smiled at Natsu. "Most people would call you a fool for having that kind of crazed faith, you know." Rukia noted. "But, all the same, I am glad you have it."

Natsu just laughed as the remaining Allied Forces cleaned up what was left of Risky Red Island's defenders. That was two barrier-powering devices down, and one to go...

 **A.N: Surprisingly, this was a tough chapter to write. Mainly because of Alpha's lack of intellect, meaning it could not match Natsu's banter with its own. Oh well, I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter all the same. Next time, some Ichigo and 1st Fleet action.**


	15. Chapter 15: Lost

**AN: This has been an eventful month for me. The company I'm working for is currently trying to hire me on full-time, so that's exciting. So yeah, my mind has definitely been elsewhere this past month. I'm glad I managed to get this chapter out. Also, as for the people who wanted a new Multiverse Tournament chapter. I took a month off to let the poll get its results. I'll be closing that today. Thanks to everyone who voted in it.**

 **After months of having that message about the virus that locks you out of your account, I'll be working on repopulating my profile with new content. Probably a lot of similar stuff. Advertisements for new ideas. Advertisements for my novel (which I am still working on, publishing is just a pain). So, if you just like my writing in general. Keep an eye on what my profile has, you may find a future project you're super into. Anyway, enjoy this chapter.**

 **Chapter 15: Lost**

The terrifying reality of Mystoria Island is that nobody knows what it actually looks like. The island is covered in a constant thick fog that reduces visibility to zero upon entry. In fact, of the few maps of areas in the New World, every map that has Mystoria Island in it, is not even an actual topographical drawing. It's just a big, dark circle, symbolizing its hiddenness from the rest of the world.

There were plenty of legends surrounding Mystoria Island, too. Every single one of them was some sort of horror story. Every last one of them involved a pirate crew or a marine battalion making landfall on the island, and never returning. Thankfully, most of them were most likely untrue. It was practically impossible to confirm the validity of any of those stories.

The World Government never released information about disappeared or destroyed marine battalions, unless they perished taking down a pirate crew with them. Sadly, there have been leaks about entire naval ships and their crews dying out for whatever reason, and the government simply refused to release them because they viewed their very death as an embarrassment to their reputation.

As for disappearing pirate ships and their crews, those are practically impossible to confirm either. As unfair as it may sound, the testimonies of people who claim something happened does not make it so. A lot of people claim the world is flat, that does not make it true. It is the same with these stories of pirate crews vanishing on Mystoria Island. Because the fates of pirate crews are rarely touched upon in this world, unless the government is responsible for their end, pirates will most likely die in obscurity.

So, Mystoria Island's dark secrets remained a terrifying, unsolved mystery that was nothing more than the subject of ghost stories to be told around a campfire. And yet, the Coalition somehow managed to make their home in this terrifying, terrifying place.

None of that mattered to Cat Burglar Nami though. As the Straw Hat's supremely talented navigator stared out at the island enveloped by its perpetually thick fog, she could only think about one thing: drawing a map of this island was going to be a bitch.

Nami was nothing like most of the men in her crew. And not for obvious reasons. She did not seek battle, and she certainly did not seek danger like her well-meaning, idiotic captain did. She loved the adventures she had with her 'family', but her thrills came from the challenge of reaching her dream: drawing a map of the whole world. Nami loved a challenge when it came to navigation, but even she found herself incredibly put off by how much of a pain drawing Mystoria was going to be.

Map drawing not only required actually going on the island and getting a lay of the land, but it also required having an outside view to compare it with the rest of the world. Getting her bearings was going to be difficult enough when you considered Mystoria's infamous zero-visibility fog. But to not even be able to compare it to the rest of the world? Mystoria was undoubtedly going to be her greatest challenge as a navigator. And while she loved a challenge, this was...just annoying, honestly.

"You know, stress is the enemy of beauty." Nami's attention was drawn to the smooth-talking Gildarts Clive, who had leaned against the ship's railing next to her without her even noticing.

Nami glared at Gildarts. She had hung around with Sanji long enough to catch onto a man trying to flirt with her. This guy was not subtle at all. "If that were true," Nami responded, "I'd have more wrinkles than you."

Gildarts mouth dropped open at that jab at his age. "My friends drive me crazy, and I still look like this." Nami smirked. "If stress is the enemy of beauty, than I guess my beauty is just superpowered."

Gildarts laughed nervously. "Maybe," he agreed, now off his game.

"Seriously though," Gildarts smiled warmly, "what's up? As one of the older members of the group, whenever I see an ally bugged by something, I can't help but get involved. The younger members of my guild look up to me for a reason, you know."

Nami at least appreciated Gildarts' sincerity in that regard. "I'm a navigator, and that island's going to be a serious pain to map out." Nami said through gritted teeth. "But damn it, it's my dream to draw a map of the entire world, so I need to conquer this island like all the others."

Gildarts laughed. "I like you, kid." He admitted, "you've got the same focus guys like Natsu do."

"Is that a pickup line?" Nami deadpanned. "Because comparing a girl to a guy is not the best way to pick up girls."

"Hey now, I'm not flirting anymore, I'm completely serious." Gildarts promised. "Look, you guys are our allies. And after everything you guys did for Fiore, you can consider yourselves honorary guild members for life. So, if you've got a problem, open up about it. We're friends after all."

Nami could not help but smile at Gildarts' sincerity. "Thanks," she said, "but no offense, I doubt you'd be much help with navigation-related matters."

Gildarts gazed out at the fog-covered island. "Maybe," he admitted, "but you know, on the bright side, even if you don't have an exact image, you at least have a base to work with. After all, the fogbank only covers the island."

Nami looked at the fog once more and had to nod at that. "You're right, unfortunately that still doesn't do much for me." She admitted. "Maps that have included Mystoria Island already have the size, it just shows up as a dark spot."

Nami sighed. "People forget how important each job on a pirate ship really is. Without a cook, pirates die of things like scurvy. Without a doctor, pirates die of things like diseases. Without a shipwright, pirates die when their ship falls apart."

"And without a navigator," Nami concluded, "her crew not only dies from getting lost, but could also very well doom future pirate crews."

"I'm not sure I follow." Gildarts admitted.

"I do," Nami and Gildarts turn to see Ichigo Kurosaki walking up to them.

Gildarts immediately started laughing at Ichigo's face. "Holy crap!" He yelled. "What the hell, Ichigo? Why are you wearing a blindfold?"

"Stop laughing, old man." Ichigo growled, indeed wearing a blindfold. "That freaking navigator refuses to wear a top, so it makes it hard for me to speak with her without stuttering like some uncool loser. This wasn't even my idea it was Chad's idea. It's not like I want to parade around wearing this blindfold."

"So, your solution is to wear a blindfold like an uncool loser." Gildarts deadpanned.

Nami giggled. "You are unbelievable." Nami noted. "Even Sanji handles this better than you do."

Ichigo growled before regaining his composure and returning to the original subject. "I do get what she's saying though." Ichigo admitted. "Er, sorry, by the way, I couldn't help but overhear what you guys have been saying, mainly because I wanted to make sure Gildarts didn't perv on you too much."

"How low is your opinion of me?" Gildarts demanded.

"As low as it is of my nutcase of a dad's." Ichigo responded before continuing without missing a beat. Gildarts, meanwhile, went off to sulk. "You're probably under a lot of pressure to make sure Luffy and the crew get through these waters safely, right?"

Nami nodded. "Yeah, being a navigator does sound like a pretty tough job. I've been in these waters for a few days now, and I honestly don't know how you handle it."

"But it's not just your crew you're trying to protect, isn't it?" Ichigo noted.

Nami nodded, her face fell slightly as several unpleasant memories began rushing back to her. "I was a slave," she admitted, deciding to open up to Ichigo and Gildarts about her tragic childhood, "to a pirate crew that conquered my hometown."

"They kept me around...because they saw how great my charts were for my age." Nami revealed.

"Honestly," Nami continued, "I don't think I can fully forgive what they did to me and to my home, but I will say...being used for my talents like that did teach me one thing about navigation."

"It taught me that my charts and maps can not only help my crew, but it can help anyone who reads them. Back home, when it became known that I was great at drawing maps, people would encourage me, tell me that my maps could actually save lives."

"And they were right." Nami admitted with a sad smile. "How many lives have been lost throughout history because of improper knowledge of the terrain? Of the sea? Or even worse, how many lives were lost because of crappily drawn maps?"

Nami could not help but laugh. "The woman who adopted me, Bell-mere, she was an ex-Marine. She joined because she wanted to protect people and save lives. Guess it really is like mother, like daughter. I do want to draw a map of the world because that would be a navigator's greatest accomplishment, but deep down, I want to save lives in my own way too, by creating the best damn maps you've ever seen."

Ichigo smiled. He still was not used to Nami's attire, and he probably never would be. But he could tell her heart was in the right place, and he truly respected her for that. "That's a good dream to have." He complimented.

"You think so?" Nami smiled. "Thanks. Usually I can only talk to Robin about my dreams. The other guys are too big a bunch of meatheads to get why my dream is what it is. Luffy just likes that I have a dream."

"He is pretty fond of dreamers." Ichigo nodded in agreement. "Him and Naruto really hit it off for that reason. Natsu and I sometimes feel like we have to keep up with them."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it's not like either of us have dreams." Ichigo admitted. "Natsu just wants to keep getting stronger. Me, I just want to protect everyone."

"It's not like there's anything wrong with that." Nami assured him. "All four of you have done a lot for the people who care about you. I think you all have plenty to be proud of. If you're anything like Luffy, as far as people go, a lot of people's lives were changed for the better because of you. Just keep that in mind."

Ichigo could not help but smile at that. Honestly, with how many times he had saved the world, he rarely did get an outright thank you or any kind of word of appreciation from someone. Granted, Ichigo was not petty enough to be bothered by something so ridiculous, but he was human at the end of the day. And no human did not like words of encouragement, thanks, or appreciation on occasion.

"Thanks, Nami." Ichigo told her.

Nami then gave a sheepish smile that Ichigo could not see due to his blindfold. "So," she said nervously, "now that we've got that out of the way, how about you do me a solid and be my bodyguard."

Ichigo fell silent, Nami continued to speak. "That island is covered in a thick fog. There's probably going to be a lot of scary stuff inside." She pointed out. "Could you be a gentleman and protect me?"

If Nami could see his eyes, she would see an extremely deadpan expression on Ichigo's face. All that buttering up, and she just wanted a bodyguard for when they went inside Mystoria Island's terrifying fog.

Funny thing is, she actually was being completely sincere. It was just part of who she was to use her feminine wiles to get a little bit of protection when on particularly dangerous adventures.

Meanwhile, Gildarts continued to sulk. Here he was, ace of Fairy Tail, arguably the strongest man on the Ishgar Continent (after all, he could very well be one of the 10 Wizard Saints and one of the 4 Gods of Ishgar if he wanted), and he was not being offered any bodyguard jobs like Ichigo was?

Was it an age thing? Was he just cursed to be ignored by women because he was getting old, and Ichigo was still quite young and handsome?

Elsewhere, Shunsui Kyoraku stared at the map of Mystoria Island, which was, again, nothing more than just a giant dark dot on the map. "So there's really no records of the island's actual landscape?" He asked. "In the centuries this world has existed, there's been nothing?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying, sir." Shunsui's consultant responded. "Of the three entry points into the New World, the most preferred is Risky Red Island. The fact that an island with the word 'risky' in the name is the preferred island should tell you how dangerous the others are. But Mystoria is the worst."

"Pirates are often very superstitious because of how out of control their lives on the sea can seem." The consultant explained. "And because of that, every sane man on the high seas utterly fears this island."

"This is an island that uses the 'fear of the unknown' to full effect." The consultant continued. "And there are no records at all of people who have gone onto the island returning alive."

Shunsui stroked the stubbles on his chin, thoughtfully at that statement. "Reminds me of the pyramids of Egypt." He noted.

"Egypt, sir?" This consultant was from the Pirate World, of course he would not know what Egypt was.

"Nanao," Shunsui addressed Lt. Nanao Ise, "isn't there an island in this world similar to Egypt?"

"You are thinking of Alabasta, sir." Nanao informed. "And you are correct to think so. Alabasta had terrifying, maze-like tombs as well."

"Right, see son, Alabasta and Egypt are two terrifying locations because they hold maze-like tombs that are living nightmares for tomb robbers." Shunsui explained. "If your luck is crap, then you're going to die, wandering an endless maze until you drop."

The consultant paled at that thought. "I can imagine it's the same with Mystoria. At best, it's a barren wasteland, where if you're unlucky enough to get lost in the fog, you'll just be wandering until you die."

"At worst?" Nanao inquired curiously.

"Then there are horrifying monsters inside that can tear apart men strong enough to survive the first half of the Grand Line." Shunsui grimly noted, surprisingly serious.

"Straight out of a horror story." Nanao muttered, fearful at the thought.

Shunsui nodded at Nanao's statement. He sank into a chair behind him, gazing at the map, that frankly should not be considered a map. "What a pain," he muttered, "it's just my luck we'd get stuck with this island."

"Sir, I'm sure Lord Chitsujo won't mind if you take your time with this." The consultant pointed out.

"I'm sure he won't, but I will." Shunsui said with surprising determination. "Everyone else is risking their lives to destroy this damn barrier. Not giving our all, and making them all wait after all the work they'll put in...is just too lazy, even for me."

"Not only that, but this entire world is waiting for us to come save them." Shunsui added. "And we can't save them, not as long as the barrier is impeding us. Do you really think they have the luxury to wait? Do you really think taking our time is okay when people waiting to be saved are waiting for us?"

Nanao gazed at her captain with admiration. _As good a man he is, he was always somewhat pragmatic. He was even willing to make Ichigo the new Soul King if necessary._ Nanao remembered, before smiling. _It seems being around the Alliance has changed him, it's brought out his best qualities as a leader and as a man._

"What's up with that smile, Nanao?" She suddenly heard Shunsui inquire.

Nanao gasped before turning red. How in the world did he see that? He was not even looking at her. "I don't know what you're talking about, sir." Nanao quickly denied. "I wasn't…"

Shunsui chuckled. "I guess you really can teach an old dog new tricks, huh?" He mused, knowing just what Nanao was thinking about him.

Nanao's eyes widened in surprise. It still surprised her just how well her captain actually knew her. Meanwhile, the consultant just looked at both Nanao and Shunsui in confusion. Those two had the oddest relationship in his eyes.

Shunsui then turned his attention back to the map. "Okay," he said, "so just to review, we've got an island completely covered in fog, and no records of just what's on it. Also, we're not going to take it slow. We're going in full force and taking out the machine that is helping power this barrier today."

"Well," Shunsui paused before continuing, "as 'full force' as we can without putting ourselves at unnecessary risk."

"I'm not sure I follow, sir." Nanao admitted. "Didn't you just say that we weren't going to take this slow?"

"I never said we were going to be stupid, either." Shunsui retorted. "The reality is, throw that many people onto an island covered in zero-visibility and the only result you're going to get is people carelessly throwing around superpowers that could very well get their allies caught in the crossfire."

"I'd question as to why the Coalition thought this was a good place to be stationed, but I think we know by now that those bastards don't give a damn about their own people. Lord Chitsujo may be reluctant to admit it, but I think he knows as well as everyone else that Konton doesn't give a damn about anyone but himself, and that attitude has been passed on to his top men."

"We're not the Coalition." Shunsui reminded Nanao and the consultant. "We do everything we can to minimize the risks to our soldiers so that we can win this war with as few casualties as possible."

"That's why," Shunsui concluded, "the only way to effectively attack this island is a small strike force. Probably a few hundred at most. We're going to do better than we did when the Hidden Mist Jutsu hit us in the Worth Woodsea."

"Sir," Nanao spoke up, "if I may, the reports from the Worth Woodsea didn't make it seem like it was such a failure."

Shunsui shook his head. "If we had lacked the strength to back up our numbers, we would've been driven off. We were still getting used to working together. This time, we're not going to rely on destructive force to beat the evil inside the mist. We're going to fight smart. That's how we're going to win."

Nanao nodded in understanding. "I trust you, Commander." Nanao promised. "If you think this is for the best, then I stand by you all the way, and I'm sure everyone else feels the same way."

Shunsui stroked the stubbles on his chin once more. "We'll keep this nice and simple." He mused to himself. "A small strike force that has the senses to effectively move within the mist. And I think I've already got a pretty good idea on who's going to enter."

Shunsui gave Nanao a knowing smile. "So, Little Nanao, tell me." He continued. "Are you up for a little island excursion."

Nanao gave her longtime superior a deadpan expression. "This would be no vacation, sir." Nanao reminded him before giving him a knowing smile. "But as your lieutenant, I'm more than happy to accompany you wherever you go."

"And that's why I love you, Nanao." Shunsui could not help but playfully flirt. "You're a fine girl. What a good wife you'll be."

The smack to the face from Nanao's book seemed almost reflexive at that point.

An hour later, as the 1st Fleet dropped anchor a few hundred feet away from Mystoria Island. Shunsui and Nanao quickly stepped into their boat. "See you on the beaches everyone," Shunsui tried to lighten the mood up with a joke, "or maybe not. This fog is zero-visibility."

Everyone on the boat immediately groaned from that god-awful joke. Suigetsu Hozuki just heaved a long sigh as he leaned down to take a long sip of his drink. "Can't believe I'm missing Commander Hatake and his porn-reading-ways." He muttered. "Especially if jokes like that are going to be the norm."

"Hey," Suigetsu turned his attention to the guy closest to him. "What about you, Gajeel? You don't seem like the kind of guy who appreciates bad jokes, right?"

Suigetsu then gaped when he saw Gajeel was already draped over the side of the boat, looking like he was about to throw up."

"Yeah, you're going to need to get used to that," Suigetsu turned to see Levy McGarden and Pantherlily, who were standing off to the side to see this group off. Pantherlily, who had spoken up, continued, "He's had motion sickness ever since we set sail."

"Is he...in danger of...you know, spewing?" Suigetsu asked. "I may be made of liquid, but those are not fluids I'm fond of."

Pantherlily shrugged. "Er...guess you'll just have to wait and see. I've honestly never seen him do it, but it's not like I think it's impossible."

Levy just pouted at Gajeel. "I know you can hear me." She said. "You better come back."

Gildarts gave Shunsui a pout too. "What the hell, Shun?" He asked of Shunsui, using a new pet name for the man. "Why am I not going with you, huh? I'm your proxy, man. Doesn't that mean I should be by your side for this fight?"

"Normally, yeah, that would be the case." Shunsui admitted. "But Gildarts, not to be harsh, but you're not exactly known for being a careful fighter. Your Crush magic could very well break your own allies apart if you're not careful."

"No!" Gildarts denied, like a child being told he was bad. "I can be careful."

"If I may, sir," Nanao spoke up now, "you are infamous for having your hometown rearranged because you have a bad habit of just walking through buildings, aided by your magic. I'm afraid you don't exactly have a good track record of being careful to rely on."

Gildarts looked like he had just been stabbed in the heart. He gazed at Shunsui, as though he were pleading with him to reconsider. "Dude," he said, "do you not hear her? Your lieutenant is seriously mean."

Shunsui laughed at this. "Nanao is a mean girl. She's the sweetest mean girl I've ever known." Shunsui dodged a swipe from Nanao's book without even looking. "But, she's also right, Gildarts, your track record isn't great...that honestly goes for everyone in your guild. The reason I had Gajeel and Juvia assigned to this mission was because Gajeel's nose is a must and Juvia can protect herself from sneak attacks with her water body."

Gildarts sighed. "Okay, fine." He relented. "Fine, I'll just wait here like a freaking housewife. But seriously though, Shun, be careful, all of you. Just know that if something does go wrong, I'll gladly come running, no matter what I have to crash through."

Shunsui smiled, grateful at Gildarts' loyalty and friendship. Gildarts grinned and held his fist up, offering it to his superior and friend. "So don't give me a reason to come running. I won't ever let you live it down if you do."

Shunsui chuckled and fistbumped Gildarts. "Whatever you say, Gildarts." He said. "I totally expect this to go perfectly."

Elsewhere, Juvia Loxar glared comically at Ultear and Meldy, who were huddled together all the way at the other end of their boat. Vista gazed at Juvia, then at Meldy and Ultear. "Do I...really want to know what's going on between you three."

"Well...when Juvia found out Ul and I were paired up in the same fleet...as you can see, she took exception to it."

"My darling Gray is elsewhere, without my love." Juvia said darkly. "And you two get to be together like this...like mother and daughter."

"Juvia, I didn't make up the fleets, that was Lord Chitsujo." Meldy tried to pass the blame.

"Meldy," Ultear sighed exasperatedly, "Lord Chitsujo gave me a new lease on life. Please don't set Juvia upon him."

"...I really couldn't think of anything else, Ul." Meldy promised.

"You two get to be together...and Gray and I don't. It's not fair." Juvia chanted.

"Juvia, it's not us, it's Lord Chitsujo." Meldy continued trying to persuade Juvia from going over the edge and delving into straight up Yandere territory. Considering she was basically changing Juvia's target though, she was frankly doing a bad job at it.

Juvia ignored Meldy and continued chanting her sadness and how unfair it was. Ultear, meanwhile, just held her face in her hand in exasperation. "A part of me doesn't want to be on this boat with her." She muttered.

"She's just expressing love in her own way." Emporio Ivankov spoke up with that big smile on that big head of his. "Juvi-Girl has nothing to be ashamed of, and we certainly should not be criticizing her for it."

Ultear gave Ivankov a deadpan expression. "Hell no." She said simply. "That girl is one little 'incident' away from going on a rampage and then getting a restraining order from Gray."

Ultear says that, mainly because Gray was one of her dead mother's precious pupils. As far as she was concerned, that made Gray her little brother in all but blood. So, she was obviously very protective of Gray, and was very, very, VERY concerned about the loony toon of a girl who was this close to becoming a full Yandere.

And no, Juvia was not a full Yandere just yet. She had not murdered anyone innocent for Gray's sake. And yes, I say innocent knowing she killed Keyes. Let's be honest here, Keyes was not an innocent victim of war by any means. He was a sadistic, demonic mad scientist who created corpse puppets for his own amusement.

God, just saying it makes it sound even more messed up than it already is…

Meanwhile, in his boat, Killer B was trying to keep everyone's spirits up with his raps. To varying degrees of success. Sakura Haruno desperately tried to plug her ears to drown out B's terrible rapping. "God, please make him stop." Sakura pleaded.

"He won't stop," C promised, "Once B starts a rap, he finishes it. That's his honest to god philosophy."

C gazed at Sakura. "Why not just punch him? Isn't that what you usually do to things that annoy you?"

"What the hell?" Sakura groaned. "Is that really what my reputation is?"

"I'm afraid so." C shrugged. "You are Lady Tsunade's top apprentice."

Sakura fell silent at this. She noticed that Inazuma had a vein popping out of his forehead. It made for quite the contrast with his very effeminate attire. "At least I'm not alone." She mused. "Inazuma does not seem to be enjoying it either."

"Make that three." C spoke up, "try living in the same village with him for your entire life. By the time I was able to remember things, B was infecting our home with his...rapping. To this day, I still don't know what inspired him to rap in the first place."

"...Maybe there are some things better left unsaid?" Sakura suggested.

"No," C said, "I want to develop time travel just to prevent B from learning rap. I'm stressed now, so I'm just going to take it out on the Coalition."

"...That'll work." Sakura conceded.

"Guess I really do have a rep that comes from being one of Lady Tsunade's apprentices." Sakura could not help but muse. "Taking my anger out on the Coalition because of how irritated I am does sound like something she would do."

Finally in a different boat, Ichigo Kurosaki desperately sat on one end, trying to stay as far away from Nami as possible. Chad, thankfully, was being a friend and trying to stay in their way. The key word being try. Nami was persistent. She wanted Ichigo as her bodyguard on the big scary Mystoria Island, and damn it, she was going to get him for that.

It was actually a very comical sight. Ichigo, the young man who had beaten powerful Arrancar, Sosuke-freaking-Aizen, and then the father of all Quincy, Yhwach, was cowering before a perpetually scantily dressed girl. Thank God Yoruichi and Rangiku were not here. They would have just made things worse with incessant teasing.

"Damn it, Chad, just get out of my way." Nami growled. "That guy is going to be my bodyguard here. I won't be able to see anything once we're on the island, and that terrifies me. I need an Act of Order to guard me."

"I'm sorry, Nami." Chad apologized in his usual deadpan tone. "But technically, I'm Ichigo's bodyguard, as he is mine. Long story. But you don't seem to care how uncomfortable your presence makes him."

"Don't make it sound like I'm a wimp, Chad." Ichigo facepalmed.

"Ichigo, if I may be blunt, this is silly." Chad acknowledged. "You are practically a grown man. You should be able to handle something like this. The fact that you still can't technically makes you a wimp."

There was something oddly comical about Chad saying all this in his usual, emotionless tone…

"Dude!" Ichigo yelled in indignation. "Everything you're saying and doing is a total violation of the bro code, and you know it!"

"And you," Ichigo pointed at Nami, still blushing because of her attire, "it's not like I'm going to be able to see any better! I'll be in the damn fog too you know!"

Nami pouted like a child before finally relenting. "Fine, I'll just accompany you anyway." She decided. "You're not heartless enough to leave a cutie like me alone in the big, scary fog."

Ichigo heaved a sigh, knowing she was absolutely right. "Yeah, I'm not." He muttered in frustration, resigning himself to his fate.

On the plus side, he would not have to constantly stare at Nami in that bikini-top of hers. Who knows, maybe there was a hidden benefit of moving around in a fog and he just did not even realize it?

That was what Ichigo would tell himself, knowing the hell that was awaiting him. Nami turned her attention to a humanoid jaguar with one eye. "How are you doing, Pedro?" Nami asked the Mink, the captain of the Guardians. "I'd ask if you're nervous about your first big mission, but you're a part of a warrior tribe, so, I doubt that's the case."

Pedro shook his head. "No," he said simply, "I'm not nervous."

Pedro was among the many Minks who volunteered to join the Alliance after the Straw Hats had saved their lives, along with Chitsujo's efforts to help them rebuild after the attack from the Beasts Pirates. And just like the other Minks, Pedro had been eternally grateful to both organizations for all their help. He was going to do everything he could, with the time he had left in this universe, to help all of those he had sworn to aid no matter what; be it the Straw Hats, the Kozuki Family, or Lord Chitsujo and the Alliance.

 _I have very little life left, compared to others my age._ Pedro reminded himself. _But the time I have left matters very little. It's what I do with it._

All the memories flashed through his mind. The Straw Hats saving the Mink Tribe. The Alliance approaching them for help. Lords Nekomamushi and Inuarashi's missing limbs being restored to what they had been before. And then, a single meeting where both Lords of the Mink Tribe pledged their fealty and their tribe to the Allied Forces as a thanks for all their help.

 _The Mink Tribe does not betray their friends._ Pedro remembered. _And we consider ourselves excellent judges of character. We choose our friends wisely. Our blades, our claws, our everything, shall be devoted to the Alliance._

 _And I will use the time I have left to repay my debt to them all._ Pedro thought, strangely at peace with his apparently short-by-comparison lifespan.

 _This Alliance,_ he concluded, _will bring the Dawn of the World._

As the boats were lowered onto the water, we now take a moment to visit the foggy world that is Mystoria Island. Interestingly enough, the force on Mystoria was even smaller than the strike force that the 1st Fleet was sending. In fact, compared to the other two entry points into the New World, Mystoria Island was the least guarded of the bunch.

Maybe it was because the Coalition was banking on the Alliance getting lost in the fog, thinking of the same analogy involving tomb raiders in Egypt that Shunsui had thought of. Or perhaps even they recognized how unnecessarily reckless it was to have that many soldiers that could get each other caught in the crossfire.

Either way, it was a small detail. Probably only a few hundred soldiers on the island. However, there was arguably quality that made up for that quantity, as evidenced by the lightning crackling around a certain area. A fanged redheaded girl casually twirled a pair of swords that were the source of it all.

Ameyuri Ringo let out a childish huff as she pouted, like a little girl who had not gotten candy from her parents. "Being in this stupid fog sucks." She said. An odd thing to lament, considering she was a former Jonin of the Hidden Mist village.

Ameyuri let out a bored yawn. "Still," she continued, "I guess I can understand the thought process behind leaving someone like me here to guard this place. I am a master of the Silent Killing. Even so, looking at how dense this fog is, I can't help but wonder if even I'll have difficulty navigating it."

Ameyuri heaved a sigh. "Maybe I should start offing the rank and file as practice? I mean, it's not like the higher-ups would care if some low level losers just started dying off, right?"

"Meh, better not risk it." Ameyuri shrugged. "Besides, it's honestly no fun, hunting prey that can't hunt ya back."

"The worst part about being on this island is that you have no idea when the enemy is coming. We have no lookouts because of the damn fog bank. It'd just be a waste of time and resources."

"Still," Ameyuri continued, "I'll give the boss-man put in charge of this island credit. He gets points for trying to make things easier for us."

In a solitary building where visibility was actually possible, a lone, dark-skinned silver-haired man dressed like some sort of tribal chief sat in meditation. Brain of the Oracion Seis had spent every waking moment in this makeshift home of his, trying to keep _that thing_ under control.

Konton had encouraged him to let _him_ out, but Brain actively chose to defy him (something that amused the Lord of Chaos to no end), as he knew that as soon as he was free, he would merely rebel, making them both a target for treason.

Brain was a survivor and a winner first and foremost. Everything needed to end with him victorious, in control, and alive. It made being assigned to such a difficult place like Mystoria particularly frustrating. However, he had managed.

Brain had inscribed magic runes similar to the Organic Link Magic he had used on the Oracion Seis all those years ago. However, this magic was meant to act as a sort of security system.

While he unfortunately could not weaponize these runes, they would at least serve their purpose in alerting them to any enemy that would come to the island. Unfortunately, Brain had not managed to cover the entire island in runes, mainly due to the difficulty in navigating the foggy area.

He had eventually managed to come up with a solution by drawing regular magic runes with no particular effect like a bread crumb trail meant to lead him back home. A tribal-like staff with a skull at the top suddenly bounced up to Brain, revealing that the object was sentient. "Brain?" Klodoa the staff asked. "Are you…feeling any better?"

Brain opened his eyes, revealing them to be blood red for a brief moment before they were placed under control. "I will never be okay," he admitted, "Lord Konton refuses to allow me to reuse the rest of the Oracion Seis as Six Prayers to seal him away. I can still feel his influence, gnawing in the back of my mind."

Klodoa frowned. An idea then came to him. "If I may," he said, "these efforts have increased your own Magic Power. Perhaps Lord Konton's efforts are to force you to evolve through controlling your power?"

Brain glared at Klodoa, making him shrink. There was that flash of blood red again. "The only reason I do not blast you for that is because you are most likely right. And after the humiliations I have had to endure, being bested by those maggots from the Legal Guilds, being struck down by that traitor Cobra, it appears I do need to increase the reach of my darkness."

Klodoa laughed happily at Brain's attempt at self-reflection. "See, there you go!" He cheered. "It's that kind of willingness to take the mistakes you made and improve upon them that made you a fantastic leader of the Oracion Seis."

"Do not try to flatter me, Klodoa, especially if it is to keep him in check." Brain growled. "After all, I can feel his influence. And with it, his love of destruction."

"I speak the truth!" Klodoa promised, not wanting to get crushed by either of Brain's personalities a second time. "You who sacrificed person after person when they failed to have the qualities you sought for your Six Prayers spell. What I admired the most about all that death was that you always sought out a better subject afterwards."

Brain thought that statement over and nodded. "Yes, I suppose there is truth to what you say." He admitted, and left it at that.

Before Klodoa could continue, Brain returned to his meditation. "Oh," he muttered, "I guess I'm technically alone again."

Klodoa wanted to believe that there was a benefit to being left to his own thoughts. It gave the sentient staff a chance to develop his own identity. However, he only knew one purpose as well, much like Brain's other side.

His only purpose was to serve the darkest of the Oracion Seis. Whomever's heart was the darkest, that was the one he would serve without fail, whether it was Brain or or his other side: the Master Zero, the true leader of the Oracion Seis.

Elsewhere, a lone dollhouse sat in the middle of the fog. Inside this dollhouse, two girls enjoyed a cup of tea, surrounded by what appeared to be living stuffed animals. The dark-skinned, older woman looked a lot more uncomfortable being in this cutsie scenario, compared to her magenta-haired friend, who was smiling contentedly with the situation she was in, even though there was a war going on.

"You've barely touched your tea, Jackie." Riruka Dokugamine commented. "You've barely touched your donuts, too."

"Sorry," Jackie Tristan smiled softly, "I guess I was just thinking too much."

"Don't expect me to touch the donuts though." Jackie added, making Riruka frown. "Those donuts are loaded with sugar though, knowing you. They'll just slow me down when I have to fight. They'll go right to my hips."

"EH?!" Riruka leaned over the table in anger. "What's that supposed to mean? Are you telling me that the donuts are going to go to my hips?"

"Honestly," Jackie sighed, "you've consumed so many of those sugary treats, I can't help but doubt that'll happen."

Riruka seethed at that statement, making a noise that seemed to be a mixture of a growl and a hiss. For a brief moment, Jackie could see all of Riruka's stuffed animals converging on the table. Riruka's powers had increased to the point where her stuffed animals had a sort of psychic connection with her, where if she was angry and training her killing intent on someone, they would focus all their attention on that person.

Jackie heaved a sigh, not wanting to deal with an angry Riruka and her stuffed animals. "Calm down, Riruka, I didn't mean anything malicious by it." She promised. "I was just trying to be honest here."

Riruka pouted. Jackie took note of how her stuffed animals immediately began to back off. _Good,_ she thought to herself, _the last thing I need is to tear her stuffed animals apart with kicks That'll just upset her even more._

Jackie decided to bring up what she was thinking about. "Why do you think we're fighting for the Coalition?"

"Huh?" Riruka raised an eyebrow at Jackie's statement. "What's that supposed to mean? We're fighting for the Coalition because we want to, so that we can help our friends."

Jackie fell silent at that statement. Riruka gazed at Jackie in confusion. "Are you alright, Jackie? You seem really concerned about something."

"It's fine," Jackie lied, "I just can't help but think. We're fighting for Ginjo and Tsukishima's sake, they're our dear friends after all. But I can't help but think of why they would get involved in this."

"What is there to think about?" Riruka asked curiously. "They are our best friends."

Jackie frowned slightly. "What about Ichigo?" She asked. "Don't you love him? Doesn't being on opposite sides bother you?"

Riruka fell silent. Jackie gave Riruka a sympathetic gaze. It looks like that fact was bothering Riruka more than she let on. "Well," Riruka spoke up, blushing, "I do, but aren't the friends I've known for the longest time more important?"

Jackie raised an eyebrow at Riruka's statement. "Are you sure?"

Riruka looked down. "I've been in love before, and who knows, I'll probably be in love again. But...you guys will probably be the only friends I'll ever have."

The only friends she will ever have. Strange, Jackie had that same thought. Then again, considering the fact they were pretty much freaks of nature, that was probably the case, right? "Hey, enough of that depressing talk." Riruka said with a pout. "Don't go making me sad like that, or I'll never forgive you."

"Now come on, drink your tea, and for crying out loud eat those donuts." Riruka gestured to Jackie's plate. "My adorable stuffed animals went to a lot of trouble to make them for you. The least you can do is not give a damn about weight and try some."

Jackie blinked in surprise. "Hold on, the stuffed animals made these? That's...well, I guess I'd prefer not to piss off your creepy dolls if they made it."

"Hold on?" Riruka looked indignant at that statement. "Are you saying you wouldn't have eaten them if I had made them? You're a mean friend, Jackie!"

Jackie sighed and just took a donut in hand. She was not going to have this argument with Riruka. It would just be more exhausting than it was worth.

"Jackie!" Riruka shrieked, waving her arms about. "Don't ignore me!"

Jackie noticed Riruka's stuffed animals training their eyes on her, as though they were about to tear her apart. _I guess I have no choice to respond._ Jackie lamented. _Damn it, of course the girl who annoys the crap out of everyone would get a posse who can't stand for her to be insulted in any way._

Finally, to top off the important ones among this bunch of soldiers defending Mystoria Island, a shark-like being sat on a small ledge. Had it not been for the zero-visibility fog, he would be observing much of the island. Although, even if he could see, he would not be taking in the sights. The fool of a being had only one thing on the brain.

"Nami…" 'Saw-Tooth' Arlong, the Fishman who terrorized the East Blue, muttered with barely contained rage. "...I want to see you, I want to kill you. I hate you. You, Straw Hat, you all took my dream away from me. I hate all of you. I want to kill you all...so badly."

"I want to kill you...I hate you." A horrifying dark blue aura suddenly appeared around the Fishman. "I want to kill you...I will kill you."

Far behind Arlong, two other Fishman gazed at him in concern. "Arlong seems to be reacting to the experiments in a dangerous manner, chu." Chew, one of Arlong's officers, could not help but comment.

"It makes no sense." Kuroobi, the other of Arlong's officers who still remained loyal to him, noted. "Arlong's stronger than us. He should be handling the results of the experiments better than us."

Chew frowned slightly. "Arlong's hatred is far greater than ours and his loss against Straw Hat probably pushed him over the edge." He noted.

Chew could not help but worry. _Can I say any different though? Once I see that long-nosed bastard who beat me...or Nami...or Straw Hat, I might just lose control._

Chew looked over at Kuroobi, who had a slightly visibly dark blue aura. _Kuroobi's in the same boat. He always hated Nami, always distrusted her, and seeing her prove him right has intensified his hate as well. I can't help but wonder if seeing her will send him into a rage comparable to Arlong's._

Thinking about that complete and utter defeat at Arlong Park though...it made that same aura appear around Chew. He took note of this and found himself worrying. _Damn, I'm in the same boat too._ Chew realized.

 _I thought the experiments they ran on us would make us strong. So that we would never suffer such a humiliation again. So that we could take what was ours. And it did make us strong. However, now I can't help but worry...if it created a real monster...a monster that would give humans true reason to fear and hate us._

Meanwhile, the boats of the 1st Fleet broke through the fog. Several soldiers let out frightened yelps when they realized that they could no longer see anything in front of them. "Commander," a soldier spoke up, addressing Shunsui, "are we really going to just press on?"

"It's the only way," Shunsui said calmly, "sail forward, be as careful as you can, once we hit landfall, we should be able to begin moving across the island."

"Remember your orders, keep your comms up, don't forget to leave some sort of trail that will allow you to retrace your steps. But don't worry, if you get lost, we will find you. Create a sort of beacon that will allow us to track you based on your energy. As for you folks from the Pirate World, stick with someone who does have some sort of energy signature."

Nami heard this over her headpiece and gave Ichigo a teasing smile. "Guess you're stuck with me, bodyguard."

Ichigo groaned in frustration. At this point, being stuck with this nightmare of a woman was worse than being stuck in zero-visibility fog. "Ichigo," he heard Chad's voice, "you want me to stay with you two?"

"No, it's fine." Ichigo sighed. "The more ground we can cover, the better. Focus on your own search, Chad. I'll worry about mine."

Suddenly, the boats all hit a patch of land simultaneously. Nami shrieked as she fell forward into Ichigo's back. Ichigo let out a yelp, feeling Nami's chest press into his back. "Is everyone alright?" Shunsui's voice was heard over everyone's comms once more. "You all hit land, right? I guess that means we've hit the island's shores."

"Okay," Shunsui nodded with a smile, "let's get moving then. I'd say watch yourselves, but it's kinda hard to watch anything."

"Sir," Nanao sighed, "enough with the jokes about the fog."

"Okay, okay," Shunsui chuckled before addressing the rest of his soldiers, "seriously though, be safe everyone. Come back alive."

With that, everyone began stepping out onto the boat and found their feet touching the sandy beaches of Mystoria Island. Nami heaved a sigh. "What's up?" Ichigo asked curiously.

"This should be a moment for history. I wanted to draw a map of the whole world, and this is part of the world. And I can't even see it, so I can't draw it."

Ichigo nodded, noting Nami's immense frustration at being unable to achieve her dream thanks to this immensely frustrating island. It was difficult to see her thanks to the fog, so talking to her was a lot easier than it was on the ship. His warm heart shone through, knowing he had to say something to reassure her.

"Don't give up that easy." Ichigo told her.

"And who says I'm giving up?" Nami asked.

If Nami could see him, she could see him actually smile. "Glad to hear it." Ichigo told her, as they began their trek through Mystoria Island. "Because if your dream really means that much to you, then you need to find a way, or better yet, believe that something will go in your favor."

"Believe?" Nami raised an eyebrow at how cliche that sounded.

Ichigo nodded. "You'd be surprised at how things have a tendency to work out. Looking back on how Rukia came into my life and made me a Soul Reaper...it feels more like it was fate."

"Fate, huh?" Nami could not help but think on that. "Was it fate that brought Luffy and the rest of the crew into my life?"

"Maybe, maybe not." Ichigo shrugged. "Either way, I'd wait to see if things work out."

Nami chuckled. "You know, Ichigo," she mused, "you are definitely different from Luffy...but you're alright."

"I'm...not sure if I should take that as a compliment." Ichigo admitted.

Nami just laughed at that statement as the two continued moving forward. "I don't even hear anyone anymore." Nami noted, changing the subject. "I guess we've already split off completely."

"Looks like it." Ichigo nodded. "The more ground we cover the better."

"I mean, yeah," Nami shrugged in agreement, "so what happens now? Do we just keep moving forward?"

"We should make progress eventually." Ichigo pointed out. "As long as everyone keeps moving forward, one group should find the device powering the barrier."

"Do you think the 3rd and 2nd Fleets managed to destroy their devices?" Nami asked.

"Of course I do," Ichigo nodded, "Natsu and Luffy are there, for one thing. And the others are pretty strong too. We've all been getting stronger since we won in Fiore. There's no doubt in my mind that they've won-"

Ichigo was cut off as his foot was suddenly caught on a root, making him faceplant into the dirt, ruining the moment. Nami immediately laughed. "Are you okay?" She asked.

"Damn fog," Ichigo growled, "why can't we have anything to help us see in this?"

"I guess we just don't have anything like that yet. Maybe I can bring it up and ask some of our researchers to design something." Nami suggested.

Ichigo got to his feet, dusting himself off. He thought of what kind of device the researchers of the Alliance could make. "Hmm, maybe some special glasses that help you see through things like fog?" Ichigo mused.

"Special glasses?" Nami was confused at Ichigo's somewhat ran.

"Don't mind me, just thinking out loud." Ichigo brushed her off. "Still, special glasses that can see through fog...sounds cool enough to be part of a video game."

Nami looked at Ichigo in confusion. "The hell is a video game?" She asked.

"Oh geez," Ichigo face-palmed, "I forgot we're pretty much worlds apart, that means you probably don't have the things my world has."

As the two continued to travel through Mystoria Island, Nami unknowingly stepped on what appeared to be strange writing. What she had stepped on, unfortunately, were the runes that Brain had drawn on the island to act as a sort of security system.

Meanwhile, Brain's eyes went wide. "Umm, Brain?" Klodoa spoke up. "Or...am I speaking with Master Zero?"

Brain glared at Klodoa with his black eyes. "Oh, so Brain." Klodoa immediately realized.

Brain narrowed his eyes before smiling darkly. "It appears the maggots are assembling." He noted. "Someone just tripped my security runes."

"Intruders?" Klodoa's skull head smiled cruelly at the thought of their foes being torn apart at the seams."

Brain held two fingers to his head, addressing his comrades. "Attention, all guards of Mystoria Island. I have an urgent announcement. It appears some maggots have decided to crawl up from the dirt, and plan to launch an attack on our base. And to that I say, we will treat them like maggots deserve to be treated."

"Squash them. Wipe them out, all of them." Brain ordered.

Brain rose from his seat. He held his hand out to the side. "To me, Klodoa." He ordered.

Klodoa flew into Brain's hand. "It's been awhile since we've had a chance to drown these wretches in darkness." Klodoa eagerly noted. "You're going to crush them, Brain, I just know it."

"What have I said about hollow flattery, Klodoa?" Brain warned him.

"Err, right, my apologies." Klodoa said. "Please don't stomp on me like Master Zero did."

Brain exited his makeshift home, ignoring Klodoa's irritating pleas and brown-nosing. Meanwhile, one by one, the officers of Mystoria Island rose up and began their hunt for the enemy, with the exception of Jackie and Riruka, who simply remained in place, drinking tea. "I'd really rather your laziness didn't rub off on me, Riruka." Jackie admitted.

Riruka frowned at Jackie's statement. "They'll come to us," Riruka said, totally sure of herself, "I'm not going to exert myself when they'll just come to me."

Elsewhere, Ameyuri Ringo did not have to wait long for enemies to come to her. She could hear the pitter patter of footsteps. She licked her lips, baring her fangs. "This is gonna be fun." She said, vanishing into the fog as though she were becoming one with it.

Ameyuri quickly weaved her way through the fog to deliver a fatal sneak attack on her unsuspecting victim. "Lightning Blade Jutsu!" The Fangs started to crackle with lightning. "Thunderbolt!"

A powerful bolt of lightning rained down on Ameyuri's intended victim. However, much to her surprise, instead of hearing the satisfying sounds of ones screams of pain and flesh being burnt by lightning, she heard the sound of lightning cracking against the ground instead.

"Eh?" Ameyuri muttered before someone appeared behind her.

"Iron Dragon Hard Fist!" Gajeel Redfox punched Ameyuri in the back of the head, sending her crashing to the ground.

"Nice try," Gajeel grinned, "but sneak attacks don't do jack squat to me."

Ameyuri groaned, getting to her feet and rubbing the back of her head. "What the hell?" She demanded. "Seriously, what the hell? How did you see me coming? Nobody gets the jump on one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist."

Gajeel tapped his nose, something Ameyuri could not see due to the fog. "The nose knows," he said, "you can't fool the nose of a Dragon Slayer."

Gajeel narrowed his eyes. "And you smell like burnt flesh and death. You are definitely no stranger to killing, aren't ya."

Ameyuri chuckled. "Well of course, I've had to take a lot of lives in the name of the Mist. And who knows, I probably would've taken more had I lived longer."

"I can't help but wonder." Ameyuri continued. "When I cook you with my Fangs, will you smell like burnt dragon, or human?"

"You ain't cooking me, missy." Gajeel promised, grinning. "I've already experienced a heat your lightning couldn't possibly match."

Ameyuri snarled at that statement. "Oh, you are begging for death, Dragon Boy." She mused. "Prepare to become just another statistic."

Meanwhile, as multiple Alliance soldiers strode through the fog, living stuffed animals were moving about. Their eyes shone brightly. Riruka Dokugamine smirked, using them as her eyes. Thanks to her status as a spiritually aware human, she could make out the presences of her foes, like silhouettes.

"What a bunch of adorable new additions to my collection." Riruka chuckled while Jackie looked on.

Suddenly, all of the stuffed animals held their hands out, as though they were gesturing to the people they were looking at. Suddenly, floating hearts appeared in front of them. "Now then," Riruka smirked, "I permit you. All of you!"

The hearts flew forward and struck each soldier, one by one. Not a single soldier had time to let out any sound of fright or surprise as their bodies suddenly faded into a pink mist. Riruka casually sat and drank tea as the pink mist appeared inside of her dollhouse. Sakura Haruno, Pedro, and Juvia Loxar appeared before her.

"Hello, hello, new additions." Riruka greeted. "My name is Riruka, but you can call me Honored Lady Riruka."

"Just call her Riruka." Jackie Tristan cut in, arms folded.

"You ambushed us!" Sakura yelled in a very matter of fact tone.

"No, I collected you." Riruka told them. "Each and every one of you, you all passed my cuteness test."

"A girl with adorable pink hair, a girl in a cool, French-like coat and a cute hat, and a living animal man." Riruka giddily noted.

"Release us, now." Pedro ordered.

"No can do, Mr. Jaguar." Riruka shook her head. "You're a part of my collection now. That means you need to stay here."

Jackie sighed. "If you've got a problem with death, then you should be glad Riruka took such an interest in you. She won't kill you, and neither will I. We'll just incapacitate you so that you won't resist and spend your days as a part of Riruka's collection."

"I don't have a problem with death." Pedro stepped forward. "I came into this war fully prepared to die if necessary. My life means nothing if I can help bring forth the Dawn of the World."

"Dawn of the World?" Riruka and Jackie looked at Pedro in confusion.

Sakura and Juvia were pretty confused by Pedro's statement as well. Then, they stepped forward, challenging Riruka and Jackie. "I'm ready to fight to the death as well." Sakura promised. "That's what it means to be a Kunoichi of the Leaf Village."

"And for my guild, I'm ready as well, for I am a Fairy Tail Wizard." Juvia added. "But know this, I will survive this for the ones I love."

Riruka and Jackie looked at each other before smirking. "We're going to become such great friends." Riruka noted.

Jackie cracked her neck. "This is going to hurt, sorry." She said as Riruka's stuffed animals appeared behind the two of them, ready to assist them in defeating these three.

Meanwhile, Shunsui Kyoraku held his hand out in front of Nanao Ise, stopping her in her tracks. "Head Captain?"

"Nanao," Shunsui smiled, "I'm surprised you don't sense it. It looks like we have company."

"Head Captain?" Brain revealed his presence, smirking. "So, my luck has brought me to the largest of the maggots?"

"Maggots?" Shunsui frowned. "Aww, come on, there's no need to be rude, my good sir."

Brain cracked his neck, a visible dark green aura appeared around him. "Maggots are still maggots, no matter what their status is."

"You all shouldn't have come here." Brain continued. "Prepare to be lost in the mist, forever and ever."

Shunsui chuckled. "You underestimate us." He said simply. "Not just you, but everyone. I really don't get you people. What exactly is it about you, or us, that makes you underestimate us? It just doesn't seem smart of ya."

Shunsui drew his twin blades that were his Zanpakuto. "Well, by all means, be that way, taking guys like you down a peg is a lot easier then the goons who are smart enough not to underestimate us."

"Fair warning though." Shunsui continued. "The fact we were brave enough to enter this mist...means we're ready to fight and win."

"And that's exactly what we intend to do." Shunsui promised.

As Shunsui prepared his showdown with Brain, Ichigo and Nami continued their own trek through the mist, unaware of the dark encounter they were about to have...


	16. Chapter 16: Messed Up Mind

**A.N: This was a struggle to write. Between my anxiety issues flaring up again (after going four years without an anxiety attack), transitioning from an intern to a full-time employee, and for some reason, still getting stuff from people who can't seem to accept my new system of work, I've had a long month of April. For those who are still giving me flak for not posting this on a weekly basis, I'm only going to say this once: lay off.**

 **To everyone who disagrees with their assessment, I ask that you allow me to handle this. No need to bombard anyone with harassing PMs of your own. Let's all be civil about this. Now back, to the ones who seem to think they have a say in how I run my account.**

 **Here's the deal, even if I wasn't working on other projects, I still wouldn't be able to post on a weekly basis anymore. That's how busy I am with my new job. So you're either just going to have to deal, or leave. The choice is yours. Now, do I recognize that this will take longer because of my new system? Yes. Am I taking steps to adjust to make sure it doesn't take too long? Also, yes.**

 **But just so we're clear, harassing me about not posting content for this story enough and claiming I don't care about my "loyal fans", that does not motivate me to work at all. In fact, the exact opposite happens. I was honestly tempted to just ignore this story after I got three straight days of the same damn review.**

 **Now, I will say that I almost did not bring this up at all. I wanted to just ignore it. I wanted to not concern myself too much with what was said. However, if I don't say anything, I'm just going to get the same review over the next month. So here we are. The ball's in your court now. You can either back off and continue enjoying what you've got, or you can leave. The choice is yours.**

 **As for the rest of you, I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

 **Chapter 16: Messed Up Mind**

You may not think it when you first meet him, but Gajeel Redfox is more of a strategist then he lets on. It came from being the Iron Dragon Slayer. Unlike Natsu, who's fighting abilities were purely offensive and destructive, Gajeel had the ability to fight both offensively and defensively. This meant he needed the mind to know when to switch between offense and defense.

Now, granted, because he was still ultimately as simple-minded as Natsu was, Gajeel was by no means a master tactician. In fact, it was arguable that if the Iron Dragon Slayer Magic was in the hands of a more capable thinker, they might end up more skilled than Gajeel. In the end though, Gajeel was capable enough. This was the man who had a great enough understanding of iron to evolve his Dragon Slayer Magic on the fly, whether it was Steel Dragon spells or Blood Dragon spells. And for the record, it was not because Levy insisted he be more than dumb muscle, not at all.

Ameyuri Ringo chuckled, brandishing the Fangs out in front of her before her foe. As a master of Silent Killing, she could see people in the mist of Mystoria Island far better than most could. What she did not expect, however, was for Gajeel to have a method that he could use to track her in the mist.

That being said, Ameyuri knew his reactions were slower, because he was using his nose and not his eyes. When it came to tracking, eyes were superior, it was just a fact. Still, the fact he was able to react the way he did was impressive. However, that was only because Ameyuri had honestly not expected him to catch her.

From here on out, the difference between their two tracking methods would become very noticeable. Ameyuri was confident in that much. "Okay," Ameyuri smirked as lightning danced around her body, "this should be fun! It's been awhile since I've cut loose!"

"Lightning Blade Jutsu!" Electricity crackled around Ameyuri's blades once more. "Thunderbolt!"

Gajeel's ears picked up the sound lightning being shot towards him once more and crossed his arms, easily taking the attack head on. _Her scent is on the move._ Gajeel noted before catching onto her presence. _To the right!_

Just as Ameyuri had predicted, Gajeel seemed slower now, due to the nose being not as good a tracker as the eyes were. "Lightning Blade Jutsu: Thunder God's Execution!" Ameyuri yelled, aiming one of her Fangs right at Gajeel's neck.

"Iron Dragon Sword!" Gajeel quickly countered, generating a sword that blocked Ameyuri's attack.

Ameyuri snarled. "Second sword then" She yelled as the other blade crackled, ready to drive it straight into the Iron Dragon Slayer's skull.

Gajeel just smirked. "Second arm," he responded cooly, "Iron Dragon Club!"

Ameyuri only had time to grunt in pain as she was pushed back by Gajeel's club. "And Iron Dragon Roar!" He yelled, breathing a windstorm of sharp shards of metal to tear into Ameyuri's flesh.

Ameyuri was enveloped by the roar, only to be replaced by a log that was immediately ripped to wooden shreds. "Che, stupid broken-ass Substitution Jutsu." Gajeel complained, desperately trying to find Ameyuri with the help of his nose again.

Gajeel then heard the sound of a thud next to him. He turned and was barely able to make out what appeared to be one of the Fangs. "Huh?" Gajeel frowned in confusion, as his nose picked up Ameyuri's scent. "How did she miss?"

"That wasn't the attack!" Ameyuri was above Gajeel. "Lightning Blade Jutsu: Lightning Rod Explosion!"

A bolt of lightning came down and lit up the grounded blade. Gajeel's eyes widened at the sheer amount of power being gathered in that single blade. As if the name of the attack was not a dead giveaway. "Oh crap." He muttered, leaping away as the energy around the blade exploded in a bright blue flash.

Ameyuri landed safely in the clear, watching the bright blue flash before it faded, leaving a crater in its place. Gajeel, much to Ameyuri's admiration, stood in the center, unharmed by the blast. However, Gajeel gazed at her, irritated by her actions. "You hit me with another explosion out of the blue, I'm going to lose it."

Ameyuri simply vanished into a slipstream and reappeared in front of Gajeel, swinging her blades out horizontally. The Iron Dragon managed to leap backwards and avoid the blade, only for Ameyuri to once again reveal that was not her real attack.

"Lightning Blade Jutsu: Thunder Claw!" Lightning burst from Ameyuri's Fangs and formed into claws that struck Gajeel in the chest.

"Urk!" Gajeel grunted from the impact, but thankfully that was the worst of it. His scales were not going to falter against Ameyuri's lightning. Laxus' was far superior.

He quickly recovered and formed multiple magic circles. "Iron Dragon Lance: Demon Logs!" Gajeel yelled as spikes of iron were fired from the circles.

Ameyuri scowled, bravely facing down the circles, and began wildly swinging both of her blades about. Gajeel watched as Ameyuri's Fangs batted away the demon logs. Each spike was flipped into the air before falling harmlessly beside her.

 _With speed like that, she's almost as fast as Laxus and Erza. Thankfully, she doesn't hit as hard as they do, otherwise this fight'd be a hell of a lot harder._ Gajeel found himself thanking his lucky stars that was the case.

Gajeel then took the opportunity to rush Ameyuri, upon seeing brief openings when she was blocking his Demon Logs attack. "Iron Dragon Hard Fist!" Gajeel yelled, nailing Ameyuri in the solar plexus.

The Mist Kunoichi briefly grunted before poofing away with a log in place. "Damn it, another substitution?" Gajeel growled, frustrated by that annoying Ninjutsu.

"Pretty basic, but it works." Ameyuri taunted, appearing behind Gajeel. "Fact of the matter is, assassinations aren't a hundred percent successful. Even my record was only in the 90s, and I was among the best my village had to offer. Get what I'm saying, Dragon Slayer?"

"I get that you're humble." Gajeel sarcastically taunted.

Ameyuri chuckled, genuinely amused by Gajeel's joke. "What I'm saying is, true Shinobi are prepared for everything. I had to learn about every possible contingency, every cruel reality that could take place on a Shinobi's mission. My village put me through the ringer to make me the woman I lived and died as."

Gajeel nodded in understanding. "I heard stories about how the Mist use to do things." He admitted before narrowing his eyes. "You guys definitely take the cake in paranoia among the Shinobi Villages. Especially that whole: 'murder your classmates to graduate' part. Were ya really that obsessed with making sure you had the best, brightest and most ready to become ninjas?"

Gajeel proudly smirked inwardly. _In another life, I'd have made a hell of an investigative journalist._ He thought to himself.

Ameyuri frowned at this. "Attachments are for the weak," she growled, "even groups like the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist don't work together, not often anyway."

"Geez," Gajeel found himself shaking his head in sympathy, "your village really did a number on you. If they hadn't changed for the better I'd seriously be asking them to be kicked out of the Alliance. I ain't big on allies who turn their own people into human weapons that way. I mean, for crying out loud, we're still human."

Ameyuri chuckled. "Not like I hold a grudge against them for that. I got to cut loose for as long as I lived, as long as I did it in service of my village."

Gajeel shook his head. _She's so broken, she doesn't even realize what the hell's wrong with that. Are all the Mist Ninja from back then like this?_

"The only thing I'm pissed about," Ameyuri continued, now narrowing her eyes, "is how quick they discarded me. Like all the people I killed for whatever conquest they started meant nothing to them!"

"See, that's the thing about working in the mist, Metalhead." Ameyuri revealed. "It's easy to sweep everything under the rug when it happens. Every time a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist dies, everything they do is swept under the rug and sealed away by the current Mizukage. Even future Mizukages won't be able to unseal all that information. It would take a hell of a seal master to pull that off."

Ameyuri laughed madly. "How's that for hilarious?!" She screamed, clearly not finding it funny at all. "The Mist takes the guarding of its information seriously, after all! I mean, that blowhard Fuguki espoused that crap all the time before everyone found out he was full of it!"

"The only thing left of me is my name and my reputation, none of my actions were ever contributed to me. Never once did I receive any true appreciation from my village, none of us did! We were just tools, through and through! And you know what pisses me off the most? They change things _after_ it's all over! Real freaking nice! Too late for everyone who got screwed by your nonsense before, but hey, at least someone else won't have to deal with it!"

Gajeel shook his head, gazing at Ameyuri with sympathy. "If you really were bothered by what happened, then you should be glad they've changed." He pointed out.

"I told you!" Ameyuri screamed. "I'm not pissed about what they made me into! I'm pissed that they no longer acknowledge it! I want my village to remember that they're always going to be the Bloody Mist! I want them to acknowledge everything I did so that I can finally receive some damn appreciation for it. Everything I did was for their benefit at the time! How dare they seal it all away! How dare they refuse to own it! How dare they try to move on and pretend nothing happened!"

A massive amount of lightning coated one of her Fangs. "Lightning Blade Jutsu: Thunderbolt Javelin!" She yelled, thrusting the blade forward like she was tossing an actual javelin in track and field.

Gajeel's eyes actually went wide at the sheer amount of Chakra. However, in the face of such a mighty attack, the man famed as Black Steel Gajeel refused to falter. There was no way he would break before someone who was already broken.

Shadows began dancing around Gajeel's body, his eyes darkened into something truly demonic. His right fist reared back. "Iron Shadow Dragon Demon Fist!"

And with that single command, Gajeel Redfox punched lightning with a shadow-enhanced version of his Hard Fist punch. Ameyuri's eyes widened in pure awe and fear for the first time in this entire fight.

"Girl," he said, "words cannot _describe_ how broken you are."

"And to think," he continued, "all this is because your village screwed you up beyond repair. It actually makes me wonder how you'd have turned out if you had just been a bit luckier. If you had just been born in a place that would've raised you up instead of molding you into what they wanted."

"Don't you pity me!" Ameyuri screamed. "I told you, I am happy with what I've become!"

"You only say that because you don't know anything else." Gajeel shook his head. "I know what I'm talking about because I've been there."

"Honestly, when I look back on it now, I wish I had joined Fairy Tail as soon as Metalicana abandoned me." Gajeel admitted. "Getting to grow up with everyone else. Getting to know that kind of love and friendship from the get-go instead of only learning it after I almost went some place there was no way back from...it would've been nice. Real nice."

"When I see people like you," Gajeel continued, "I really am reminded that I've got a lot to be thankful for. I got a second chance, something you never got. You can claim you don't want my pity all you want, Sparky, but the reality is, people like you are the ones who deserve the most pity."

"Because we're the same, we were both screwed by where life had taken us. The only difference was that I had someone to pull me back to the right path." Gajeel noted.

Ameyuri fell silent at this before roaring with rage. "Lightning Blade Jutsu: Kamu Susanoo no Odachi!"

Gajeel watched as the Fangs grew in size, becoming pure blades of lightning. "Okay, that is a lot of Chakra." He muttered.

"I'm the one who needs pity?" Ameyuri roared. "I'm the one who needed to be put on the right path? Silence! Don't you lecture me! This victory is rightfully mine!"

Gajeel scowled, putting up his fists in preparation. "You want to talk about paths you bastard! Alright, here's the path I've got for you! All the way to hell!" Ameyuri screamed. "I'll crush you with everything I've got!"

Ameyuri swung downwards, creating a blue arc of energy that created a miniature canyon that tore across the ground. Gajeel responded by transforming into shadows, only for the light of the electricity to actually force him out of the shadow form. "Damn it!" Gajeel cursed in realization. "I guess light really is the natural enemy of shadows."

"Die by my blades!" Ameyuri stabbed forward with enough force that the mist was briefly parted, forcing Gajeel to duck underneath the attack.

"Iron Shadow Dragon Roar!" Gajeel yelled, firing a blast of combined magics at Ameyuri.

Ameyuri let out a scream of fury, swinging her giant blades horizontally and cutting the roar into pieces, dispersing it into the winds. "I don't need Silent Killing to end you, or assassinations." Ameyuri gloated. "I'm one of the greatest to ever come from the Hidden Mist's brutal training methods! And they think they can create better ninja without those methods?"

"Because the less human you are, the weaker you are when it really counts!" Gajeel responded. He pointed to his heart. "What really matters is in here, you idiot! As long as this heart beats for something other than life and death, you've got the strength to do anything! Because we're human first, and warriors second! Always!"

"Advanced Dragon Slayer Secret Art!" Gajeel yelled. "Karmic Demon Iron Shadow Sword!"

Gajeel generated a giant blade of iron and shadow above his head. Roaring with power, Gajeel swung the blade downward, intent on bringing Ameyuri down. Screaming, Ameyuri responded by swinging her Kamu Susanoo no Odachi upwards. Much like the last blow, the force of the attacks actually parted the mist, revealing the fight between Gajeel and Ameyuri for all to witness, if there were anyone who actually could watch this.

Gajeel grunted in surprise, the force of the blow actually knocked him backwards. He seemed like he would be off his feet in a second. Ameyuri briefly chuckled before realizing she was actually falling back as well, and the lightning that had made up her enlarged blades had actually been cut in half by the iron of Gajeel's attack. Gajeel smirked, leaning backwards due to the force but not leaving the ground. "Eh?" Ameyuri said in surprise.

The Iron Dragon Slayer quickly straightened his body out. He then leapt at Ameyuri. The Mist Kunoichi gasped when she noticed blades on Gajeel's heels. He had used them to dig into the ground so that he could take the force of the impact without being knocked away.

Ameyuri was defenseless now, there was nowhere for her to go. "Iron Shadow Dragon Sword!"

As strong as the Kamu Susanoo no Odachi was, there was one brutal flaw. It consumed so much Chakra using it meant Ameyuri could not use any other moves. She was done for.

Ameyuri's eyes bulged from their sockets as the blade of iron and shadow tore across her body. The Mist Kunoichi found herself sprawled on the ground. "I just...I just want things to be normal again." She muttered pitifully, losing consciousness.

Gajeel shook his head in sympathy. "You don't know what normal is." He said bluntly.

Elsewhere, in Riruka Dokugamine's Dollhouse, Pedro, Juvia Loxar, and Sakura Haruno all stared down the small army that was ready to be set loose on them. Sakura's mind, still arguably her strongest point, immediately went to work in formulating a plan to bring them down. Taking note of Juvia's presence, the pink-haired girl smiled. "Juvia," she said, with a wordless command.

Juvia nodded, immediately catching onto what Sakura had in mind. "Water Nebula!"

A massive tidal wave crashed through the dollhouse. Riruka's eyes went wide with sheer terror, watching in horror as all her beautiful possessions were washed away by Juvia's attack. "My stuff!" She shrieked, horrified by this war crime taking place before her.

"Hoo boy." Jackie muttered, grabbing onto Riruka and leaping into the air, taking her to safety.

Jackie landed in the air, holding onto a vehemently protesting Riruka, who was flailing her arms like a child throwing a tantrum. Jackie gazed at the washed out stuffed animals. "You know, if I were six years old again, this'd be like my personal horror movie." She acknowledged.

Jackie turned to Riruka. "Will you stop that? You're acting like a child. No sane man's going to say I love you to a demonic face like that."

"EH!" Riruka shrieked. "I'll have you know the boys line up to ask out a cutie like me!"

"Again, don't say that kind of stuff when you look like a demon." Jackie deadpanned.

Pedro took advantage of Jackie's distracted state, crouching down and leaping into the air like an actual pouncing predator. His blade crackled with the power of Electro. _I'll end this with one swing!_ Pedro thought to himself.

"Pedro!" He heard Sakura shout out in warning.

Pedro looked off to the side and saw a giant anthropomorphic raptor in a dress cawing at him. His eyes widened briefly, wondering if this was the legendary Boa Tribe (no relation to the Gorgon Sisters of Amazon Lily, a now extinct tribe of anthropomorphic bird-people that had been rivals to the Mink Tribe (I wish I could say I was making this up, but history often does have whacky points like this).

Needless to say, the Boa Tribe looked down on many, and their conquest of the Mink Tribe ultimately led to their untimely end. And now they have come back from the dead to exact their revenge on the Minks.

Well, no, a bit too over dramatic there. No, the Boa Tribe had not returned. They were still extinct. No, this was just one of Riruka's dolls, who had flown above Juvia's Water Nebula and was now protecting its master from attack.

Riruka broke from her temper tantrum and noticed one of her 'heavy hitter' dolls taking action. "Get him, Ms. Falcon!" She yelled. "Gouge his eyes out with your talons! Make them all pay for what they did to my beautiful dollhouse!"

Pedro managed to pivot in the air, barely blocking a kick from Ms. Falcon. The giant stuffed animal cawed, retreating from Pedro upon experiencing the powerful electric shock. As Pedro landed, he found himself confronted by other giant stuffed animals who were rising up from Juvia's Water Nebula. Strong as that attack was, Juvia had still failed to bring down the true "behemoths" of Riruka's Dollhouse.

"Pedro!" Juvia yelled out in concern.

"And just where are you two looking?" Jackie exclaimed as she and Riruka charged Sakura and Juvia.

"Take this!" Riruka shrieked, taking out her Love Gun and firing multiple pieces of furniture at Sakura and Juvia.

Juvia unhesitantly stepped out in front of Sakura, pointing her index finger at the furniture. "Water Gun!" She yelled, firing small but powerful blasts of water that shattered each piece of furniture.

Jackie raised her leg, brandishing her Dirty Boots at Juvia, only for Sakura to stand in her way, blocking the woman's first kick. "The Slug Sannin's apprentice, huh?" Jackie narrowed her eyes. "Yeah, kinda hard not to recognize someone with hair like that."

"If you know about me and my master, than you should know trying to take me on is a bad idea." Sakura retorted.

Jackie chuckled. "The dirtier I get, the stronger I become. I don't mind getting down and dirty in a brawl, even with someone like you. If anything, the brutaler, the better."

Sakura gasped as Jackie suddenly forced her off her feet. "I should thank your friend in blue," Jackie admitted, "she went and turned this neat and clean dollhouse into the ideal battleground for me."

Sakura watched as Jackie's boots actually absorbed all of the filth and debris that was swept up as a result of Juvia's Water Nebula. Jackie heaved a sigh as Spirit Energy actually began to leak out of her. Sakura's eyes widened in realization. _The dirtier I get, the stronger I become._ She remembered. _So that's it. Okay, this may be a bit tougher than I originally thought._

Jackie cracked her neck. "You know, it's funny actually. Deep down, compared to the rest of Xcution, I hate my ability so, so much. And yet...as I reach a new level of strength, I can't help but love it now. Does that make me corrupt? Does that make me evil? Or perhaps the truth is, even though I hate my ability, I hate the idea of being powerless even more?"

Sakura frowned, those words striking a chord with her. As the weakest member of Squad 7, she hated the idea of being powerless just as much as Jackie did. Honestly, it was not fair for Sakura to feel that way. She was plenty strong in her own right. Compared to Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi-Sensei though, she was still the frightened little girl who stood around holding a kunai in nearly every big fight during her time as a Genin.

Jackie sighed. "Why am I bothering talking to you about this? I...have to kill you...for the sake of my friends. Tsukishima...Ginjo...for their sake, I have no choice but to end your life. You probably have people you love, right? Then you should understand what I must do."

Jackie crouched down. Sakura watched as the floorboards cracked beneath her. Jackie narrowed her eyes and pounced at Sakura, raising a dirty leg into the air. "Hiyah!" She screamed, throwing a devastating roundhouse kick that Sakura barely managed to duck underneath.

Sakura watched as the sheer force of the kick created a blade of wind that smashed into the wall behind her, like Cp9's Tempest Kick. "Cha!" Sakura had no time to be surprised though. She quickly threw an uppercut aimed at Jackie's stomach.

Jackie grunted in pain, taking the full brunt of Sakura's punch. Sakura, however, refused to let up and threw a flurry of punches straight into Jackie's midsection. Jackie recovered after the tenth punch and threw a kick at Sakura's shoulder, pushing away from the pink-haired girl.

Jackie then kicked at the ground, kicking up a shockwave that travelled towards Sakura. Sakura dropped into a martial arts stance and threw a single punch forward, creating a shockwave of her own that stopped Jackie's attack, canceling the two out. Jackie then vanished into her slipstream. Sakura tracked her movements easily and blocked her next roundhouse kick with her arm.

Sakura felt her feet slide slightly, making her realize that the force of Jackie's attack still somehow pushed her back. Jackie smirked and kicked forward again. Some dirt and mud actually flew from her leg and into Sakura's face catching her off guard. "Eh?!" Sakura yelled in surprise, stumbling backwards.

Jackie then kicked Sakura in the chest, sending her flying into the wall. Then, much to Sakura's surprise, the girl bounced right off the wall and was flying back to Jackie. A green light reverberated from the wall. A side-effect of Riruka's Fullbring. While they could still be damaged, the actual structure of the Dollhouse (such as the walls and the roof) will never collapse. They will just absorb the impact and send it back. With knowledge of this, you can take advantage of the terrain around you and turn it into a devastating weapon.

Jackie let out a yell, throwing another kick at Sakura as the girl flew back towards her, striking her in the face and downing her. Sakura briefly bounced from the impact before groaning, lying motionless on the ground.

"Now stay down," Jackie ordered, "I don't want to have to kill you. Besides, Riruka would be furious if i killed you. She wants to add you to her collection, after all."

Sakura glared up at Jackie. "You have some nerve, being a part of the Coalition and act like you're some high-and-mighty bitch who doesn't want to take anyone's life."

Jackie glared right back. "Is it really out of left field that someone in the Coalition actually does not like to take lives?" She inquired. "You have an oddly black and white view of the world, Pinkie."

"Only when I'm dealing with an army that's hellbent on conquering the entire universe and killing everyone who's in their way. If you really hated killing that much, you wouldn't be fighting with the Coalition."

"I don't fight because I care about conquest or death, I fight because I have friends I need to fight for." Jackie explained. "They're the only family I have left."

Sakura's face contorted into a twinge of sympathy. "With a personality like yours, I'd be willing to bet you tend to repel friends, but if there is someone you love, you know you'd have to fight for their sake."

Sakura then forced herself to her feet. "I do have people I love." She explained. "And even if I do love them with all my heart...I know for a fact I could never betray my own morals, not even for them. Instead, I'd drag my friends back on the right path."

"I might not have been able to do that back then...I had to rely on someone else." Sakura admitted. "I don't know if I can pull you on the right path, and honestly, I don't know if I want to. However, that doesn't mean I can't deck you in your dumb face for thinking caring about someone means throwing away your own morality."

While Sakura rose up to face off against Jackie once again, Juvia Loxar and Riruka Dokugamine continued their clash. Riruka continued to fire furniture piece after furniture piece at Juvia.

"Water Gun!" Juvia, thankfully, had an easy counter for Riruka's Love Gun.

Juvia narrowed her eyes at that odd weapon. "Just how much furniture do you have in that thing?" She demanded.

Riruka chuckled. "About 100 American Furniture Warehouses." She replied, jokingly. "I could do this all day, and I wouldn't be anywhere closer to running out of ammo."

"The question, however, is whether you've got the Magic Power to blast away all my Love Gun's ammunition." Riruka taunted. "I won't let you stand in the way of taking my happiness from me."

"I don't want to take your happiness." Juvia promised. "I just want to protect my friends and their homes."

Riruka shook her head. "If someone stands in opposition to you, that means they want to take your happiness, even if they don't mean to. That's just the sad reality of this world." She said grimly. "It doesn't matter who it is. Family, loved ones, if they oppose you...then that means they want to take your happiness from you. I learned that the hard way."

Juvia gazed at Riruka in disbelief. Just how broken was this girl to think that. "Happiness and love must be taken, and once you take it, you must never let go." Riruka explained.

"That's wrong!" Juvia exclaimed. "That's wrong and you know it! I could never do that to my darling Gray, or to anyone I care about!"

"I just want to be happy! I just want to be loved! What in the world is wrong with that?" Riruka demanded.

Riruka then took a canister out from a pocket in her dress and loaded it into her Love Gun. _New ammunition?_ Juvia wondered. _Better be on guard. I don't know what she's going to throw at me next._

"Now, take this!" Riruka yelled, firing stuffed animals from her gun now.

Juvia watched as a giant stuffed snake flew towards her from the Love Gun, flanked by a stuffed wolf and a stuffed turtle. All three were alive and ready to strike at her. "Water Cane!" Juvia quickly countered and sliced the snake to pieces.

"Next, Water Slicer!" Juvia cut the turtle and the wolf right down the middle.

"There is something wrong with that," Juvia explained, "when taking your happiness takes away from the ones you claim to love! That's not love, that's something else, something horrible!"

"If you really want to love someone, and if you really want them to love you back, you can't just focus on making yourself happy!" Juvia claimed. "You need to devote yourself to their happiness as well! Love is when both sides are happy, not just one!"

"But Ichigo...I love Ichigo...he's happy when other people are happy. That's why he's so great...him being hot is just a plus." Riruka gritted her teeth, trying to counter Juvia's logic. "If I'm happy, then he's happy!"

"You'll see!" Riruka yelled. "I'll turn you into an adorable piece of my collection. And then, you'll see! I'll be happy and that'll make you happy!"

As soon as Riruka made that declaration, Sakura was suddenly kicked into view. "Sakura!" Juvia yelled in concern.

"I'm fine!" Sakura stretching her increasingly sore body out. "She hits hard though. And she's getting stronger."

Jackie rejoined Riruka. "You haven't brought her down yet?" Riruka frowned. "Come on, Jackie, try harder! I want to make all three of them a part of my collection you know!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know!" Jackie rolled her eyes. "Look, thanks to that Water Mage, my Dirty Boots are getting even stronger. I'll take them both down at this rate."

"Take them down?" Riruka seemed horrified at the notion. "Jackie! Don't damage them too much! They won't be as cute and then I can't make them part of my collection! They have to stay cute in order for this to work!"

"Oh for the love of...Riruka, this is war, I've gotta damage people in order for us to win. This is for Ginjo and Tsukishima's sake." Jackie reminded her.

While Jackie and Riruka began to argue, Sakura took the opportunity to recover. She panted from Jackie's brutal onslaught from earlier. "Damn," Sakura cursed, "I was really hoping to save this for a heavy hitter, but she's going to overtake us both at the rate she's going. It's just like she said, she gets stronger the longer this fight takes because she gets even dirtier. I need to end this with one shot before that doesn't happen, and the only way to do that is with my special technique."

Juvia's eyes widened before she smiled, an idea coming to her. "Special technique you say?" Juvia smiled knowingly. "If I may, I think I have the solution you might be looking for."

"You do?" Sakura gazed at Juvia in surprise. "If you really do have an idea, I'm all ears, Juvia."

"When in doubt, combine two powers into one, I learned that when I first joined Fairy Tail." Juvia revealed.

Juvia reached out and grabbed Sakura's hand. "They call this a Unison Raid back home." Juvia explained. "However...I think we can just stick to calling these a Combined Attack."

Sakura's eyes widened as a massive sphere of water surrounded her hand. "Whoa!" She yelled in surprise, gazing at Juvia in shock. "You did that so easily!"

Juvia giggled. "I have quite a bit of experience in combining my strength with friends." She explained. "It's like second nature at this point. But it always is easier when you're doing it with a friend...with someone you love."

Side note, Juvia's impressive ability to be compatible with others for combined techniques was not the only thing. Sakura's Chakra control has been impressive since her youth. Because of that, she was able to subconsciously raise her Chakra to a level equal to Juvia's power, and in doing so, the two powers resonated and created a Combined Attack.

"Juvia," Sakura gazed at Juvia, shocked that she would consider her a loved one so soon.

"I love my darling Gray with all my heart." Juvia clarified. "But...there's plenty of room in that heart for all of my friends too. You all mean the world to me, and so I love you all with all my being, unconditionally."

"After all, you all stopped the rain."

Sakura smiled and nodded in understanding before turning her attention to the still arguing Jackie and Riruka. She calmly stepped up to fight one more time, making a fist out of her hand. The water still spun rapidly around it.

Jackie's eyes widened at the sudden surge of combined Chakra and Magic Power. "And another thing-" Riruka was cut off, noticing it as well.

"Umm...Riruka?" Jackie looked at Sakura in disbelief. "Just so we're clear I'm blaming you for this."

"WHAT?!" Riruka shrieked. "You didn't finish her!"

"Combined Attack!" Sakura yelled, throwing a punch with such force that the sphere of water shot off like a meteor. "Water Blossom Meteor!"

The water meteor slammed right into both Jackie and Riruka simultaneously, exploding in a massive splash and sending both women hurtling into the air. "YOUR FAULT!" Riruka could only scream.

"Shut up…" Jackie said tiredly, accepting her defeat and letting herself fall unconscious.

 _Tsukishima...Ginjo...sorry._ Was her final thought.

Sakura smirked triumphantly at the two beaten women. "Hell yeah."

Juvia instinctively applauded. "That was wonderful!" She exclaimed. "With how well you handled my magic, it's like we've been friends forever!"

Sakura looked back at Juvia and nodded. "Okay, let's check on Pedro and...see...how...he's doing…" Sakura trailed off when she saw the results of Pedro's work.

Standing upon a mountain of stuffed animal corpses (literally the worst nightmare of any child) was Pedro. He scoffed a the beaten animals as the Dollhouse began to fade around them. "Wannabe beasts like these had no chance against a Mink." He said proudly.

"He is a beast." Sakura said breathlessly with wide eyes.

Juvia watched as the Dollhouse completely crumbled away. "Looks like we won. Like any other reality-altering ability, the effects wear off as soon as the user loses consciousness."

Sakura addressed Pedro. "We should get going." She told him. "The sooner we get that device destroyed, the sooner we can get out of this creepy island."

Pedro nodded in understanding. "I'll scout ahead." He promised. "My sensory abilities will help me pick things up quicker than anyone else."

Pedro vanished deeper into the fog. "Can you get a read on him?" Juvia asked.

"Not at all, but the Mink Tribe seems nice enough." Sakura shrugged and smiled. "And anyone who's willing to stand up to everything that's going on around us is okay in my book."

Sakura turned her attention back to the outlines of Jackie and Riruka's unconscious forms. She was barely able to make them out thanks to the fog. "What should we do with these too? We can't have them waking up and running amok again. And even binding them might not do much thanks to that Kako technique. The Coalition has really abused that move."

"Even if binding does not do much, I'd rather do something than nothing." Juvia stepped forward, waving her hand. "Water Bind."

Sakura watched as water wrapped itself around Riruka and Jackie's bodies. "I've heard various reports that the technique can be used whether they are conscious or not. However, if there's one thing I've learned is that this technique ties back to Konton himself. If he chooses not to use it on them, it means he no longer has any use for them." Juvia explained.

Sakura looked disgusted at the very thought. How anyone could just throw someone away like yesterday's trash was beyond her. And that guy's a king. It was like if Danzo actually did end up becoming Hokage and not just Hokage Candidate.

Meanwhile, Shunsui Kyoraku removed his flowery robe. "Nanao my dear, hold the robe."

Nanao groaned, not even bothering to call Shunsui out for flirting with her again. "Yes sir," she said through gritted teeth, grabbing onto Shunsui's robe.

Shunsui casually stretched his arms out before raising his twin Zanpakuto out in front of him. "Okay," he breathed out before smirking, "been awhile since I've cut loose. Hope I'm not rusty."

Shunsui's Spirit Energy rose up, creating a visible aura around him before he vanished with a Flash Step, speeding towards Brain. Brain's eyes widened briefly at Shunsui's incredible speed before catching up to his movements and leapt into the air, avoiding a horizontal swing from Shunsui's shorter sword.

Brain pointed Klodoa at Shunsui. "Dark Fantasia!" He yelled, firing multiple bursts of darkness magic at Shunsui that spread out at random before converging on the Head Captain of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads.

"Nanao, stay back." Shunsui ordered.

Nanao nodded and Flash Stepped away. Shunsui calmly deflected the darkness from Brain's Dark Fantasia easily.

Brain landed and frowned slightly at Shunsui deflecting Dark Fantasia with such ease. _He's wide open though._ Brain smirked. _The foolish maggot._

"Alright, Dark Bagatelle!" Brain yelled, raising Klodoa and forming a Magic Circle that appeared at Shunsui's feet.

Shunsui looked down at the circle with a dispassionate gaze on his face as darkness exploded around him. Brain smirked. "I crushed him." He said triumphantly.

"What are you talking about?" Shunsui Kyoraku appeared behind Brain with that same dispassionate expression on his face. "Come on, you can't seriously be declaring victory when I'm your opponent."

Shunsui swung his short sword at Brain, who managed to imbue Klodoa with dark magic and then block the swing. Shunsui then smirked and swung the much longer sword. Brain's eyes widened as the blade passed across his chest, feeling blood fly freely from the wound. "Brain!" Klodoa yelled in concern.

Brain, however, quickly recovered. "Dark Capriccio!" Brain yelled and fired a piercing ray of darkness that struck Shunsui in the chest, driving him back an entire football field's worth of distance.

"And do you think this would be easy, you miserable maggot?" Brain glared at his foe, even though he could no longer see him thanks to the fog around him. "I am the leader of the Oracion Seis, one of the three strongest Dark Guilds in all of Fiore!"

"I. Am. Brain!" Brain continued. "Dark Intermezzo!"

Brain raised Klodoa and created several orbs of darkness that flew towards Shunsui. The Soul Reaper Captain quickly Flash Stepped through each orb, moving towards Brain once more to strike.

Brain smirked. _Fool,_ he thought, _he's fallen right into my trap. The orbs that make up Dark Intermezzo created a path for him to follow. However, at the same time, he has no way to avoid my next attack because if he tries to move he'll detonate the orb and create a chain explosion._

 _And now,_ Brain continued, _prepare to die._

"Dark Rhapsody!" Brain yelled, firing an even stronger version of Dark Capriccio.

Shunsui's eyes widened briefly as the giant piercing beam of darkness known as Dark Rhapsody enveloped him. Brain smirked triumphantly once more. You would think he would have learned by now.

Killing Shunsui Kyoraku was practically impossible. The man is like a cockroach. Step on him and he'll just come back. Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto himself commented on Shunsui's amazing ability to stare death itself in the face and return constantly. His classmates gave Shunsui the nickname 'Lucky Shun' for that very reason.

"Daruma-san ga Koronda!" Shunsui suddenly appeared behind Brain.

"What?" Brain gazed at the Soul Reaper in surprise.

"Hado #78, Zangerin!" Shunsui sung a transformed Katen Kyokotsu, creating a ring of energy that slammed into Brain, pushing him away from Shunsui.

Brain, however, quickly recovered and raised Klodoa into the air, creating a massive orb of dark energy. "Dark Sonata!" He yelled, tossing the orb at Shunsui.

"Oh dear." Shunsui smiled. "Can't you hold back even a little? You don't want to destroy the island, don't you?"

Shunsui dug the smaller blade of Katen Kyokotsu into the ground and pointed his finger. "Hado #88, Hiryu Gekizoku Shinten Raiho." Shunsui said simply, easily firing off a level 80+ Kido spell that slammed into Dark Sonata, pushing the giant orb back and causing it to explode harmlessly above himself and Brain.

Brain gazed up at the destruction of his giant orb. _Am I really being pushed back? I've been locked into a stalemate with a damn maggot. I've gotten so much stronger since the Nirvana incident all those years ago. I can't still be losing ground to people like this!_

Brain quickly regained his composure. _Calm yourself you fool, you'll leave yourself vulnerable to being taken control of by Zero if you keep this up._

 _I must calmly analyze this. For starters, my magic is being cancelled out by his Kido spells. But that ability he used to avoid my Dark Rhapsody was from his Zanpakuto. It appears his fighting style is all about misdirection, a stark contrast to Iron Rock Jura's defensive fighting style._

 _I can no longer look down on him as a mere maggot, not when his style of fighting matches mine so well. Darkness Magic by nature is destructive. However, against an opponent who deals in misdirection, my magic's purpose is denied._

Brain heaved a sigh. "Very well," he said, "then I shall change my tactics and achieve victory that way."

Shunsui smirked. "Don't like that you have to really try against a mere maggot like me?" He taunted.

Brain raised Klodoa. "I take it you have no objection to what I am about to do?" He inquired.

"Just as long as you keep your emotions under control, you'll get no complaints from me." Klodoa promised.

Brain nodded. "Dark Serenade!" He yelled, coating his entire body in a visible aura of Darkness Magic.

Shunsui narrowed his eyes. _He used his Darkness Magic on himself? That can only mean it's some kind of support magic to increase his physical abilities. But will that be the only thing he does against me?_

Brain chuckled. "And now, Dark Concerto!" He yelled as a blade of darkness appeared around Klodoa's head. Brain was now holding what appeared to be a naginata.

Shunsui smirked, genuinely impressed with Brain's change in tactics. _So he figured out that raw destructive force won't be able to beat me. As a result, he's decided to boost his physical attributes and try to match me with a blade of his own. Looks like he's finally showing why he was put in charge of the Oracion Seis. I didn't expect such capable thinking from a guy who has no respect for his opponents._

Shunsui gazed at Katen Kyokotsu. _This will probably get a bit more difficult now._ He admitted inwardly. _Because this island lacks any light from the fogbank, I can't use my games like Kageoni. I'm a bit limited in the games I can play, unfortunately._

" _I can't believe you released me without even considering that, you're as dense as always, Shunsui."_ A female voice rang out in his mind.

 _So mean, Ohana._ Shunsui sweat-dropped. _Not like I had a choice. That Dark Rhapsody of his would've been rough had I not used you. And you decided you wanted to play anyway, so maybe you shouldn't complain._

" _Be glad I don't slap you upside the head for such a remark. You're busy. Bring him down and I'll take care of you later."_

 _Ooh, don't tease me._ Shunsui grinned pervertedly.

"I'm coming for you, Soul Reaper!" Brain yelled, rushing Shunsui at a tremendous speed.

The dark naginata and Katen Kyokotsu collided, neither men intended to give an inch. "Well, well, well, I was right." Shunsui grinned. "That aura of yours enhanced your physical attributes. Your magic power was captain-level as it is, but now your physical strength has been enhanced to captain-class as well."

"I will not be struck down by brutes any longer." Brain vowed. "A dark wizard of my caliber shall continue to ascend to even greater levels."

"If you really cared about that, you'd try to walk a different path." Shunsui frowned. "Preferably one that doesn't evolves causing as much suffering to innocent people."

"When you walk the path of greatness, you cannot care for the maggots you trample over along the way." Brain responded. "Right, wrong? good, evil? justice? Righteousness? I have no reason to care for such things in my path."

"Is your goal really that simple?" Shunsui grimaced. "Sheesh, as deplorable as Aizen and Yhwach were, at least they had a goal. That itself was admirable. Do you even know what you want? Something other than greatness? Everyone's got something they want more than anything. And you just want greatness?"

"I strive to obtain magic that surpasses magic. Magic that can change the very destiny of the world. Having that kind of power...would give anyone greatness. No one would challenge me." Brain replied. "I want power and greatness so mighty that the very idea of challenging me would be a sin."

Shunsui sighed. "I'm never going to understand guys like you." He admitted. "Why people can't just be satisfied with what they have is beyond me. I mean, there's nothing wrong with wanting more...but you're just greedy...no, you're more of a glutton for power."

"But I can promise you this, dark wizard Brain, working for the Coalition isn't gonna grant you what you want. There's no way in hell any of us are going to let you have it. I mean, I personally can't let you do it out of principal. Because see, you are just the worst."

Brain scowled. "Die." He commanded, preparing to resume his assault.

Meanwhile, Ichigo Kurosaki and Nami continued to move through the fog. Well, Nami did. Ichigo often found himself stopping to knock out some schmuck who thought attempting a sneak attack on him or Nami was a decent idea.

At this point, Nami spoke up with a big grin on her face. "You are a hell of a bodyguard, ya know that?" She said. "We've been marching for awhile now, and it's like we haven't even run into any enemies yet."

"Well, we both know that's a lie. I'm doing all the heavy lifting here." Ichigo reminded her. "Then again, with how weak all these guys who've been jumping us have been, they really shouldn't qualify as enemies. More like they were a bunch of annoyances."

Nami giggled. "You are truly a man among men with that incredible power of yours, Ichigo." She complimented.

"Don't you dare get all cutesy and sweet with me." Ichigo deadpanned. "Especially when I know how you really are."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Nami pouted. "Are you saying I'm not cute?"

"You just act way too much like a pirate for me to call you cute." Ichigo told her. "My little sisters are cute. Orihime's got a cute personality. But you...well, you've got your own appeal."

"Oh, I've got my own appeal?" Nami smirked. "Is that your way of hitting on me, Ichigo?"

Ichigo blushed. "Hell no, I don't hit on people, Nami. I just tell it like it is."

Nami giggled. "Well, since we're being so honest with each other," she said, "you shouldn't act like such a delinquent when I know you're just a big softie deep down."

"I am not a softie." Ichigo growled.

"Oh but you are," Nami teased, "if you really were as bad and hard as you acted, you could've just ran off and I'd have had no way of catching up to you."

"But you became my bodyguard, regardless of how you act on the outside." Nami pointed out. "You act all tough, but you're just like Zoro. You're just a big softie who'd never abandon the people he cares about."

Ichigo grimaced but fell silent at that statement. Nami laughed, knowing she had him pegged. "You're even more stubborn than Zoro though. Zoro knows when to follow orders and he does it without complaint. You, however, still make it seem like you were forced into doing this."

"Well, to be fair, Zoro does seem like the kind of guy to be under a girl's thumb." Ichigo pointed out, making Nami double over from laughing.

"He totally does." Nami was in complete agreement.

Ichigo could not help but smile. Annoying as she could be, these kinds of moments were the ones where Nami was genuinely enjoyable to be around. However, that smile was immediately wiped away when he felt a tremendously hostile intent aimed towards him and Nami...especially Nami.

Immediately, Ichigo leapt into action and held his hand out, stopping Nami in her tracks. "Eh?" Nami was surprised by Ichigo's sudden move. "What's wrong?"

"We've got three hostiles surrounding us." Ichigo responded. "Stay close to me. We don't know how strong any of these guys are."

Nami nodded in understanding. "Y-yeah," she said, "can you like...gauge how strong any of them are?"

Ichigo shook his head. "No," he said, "but there is one thing I can sense. They are all super pissed off. It's like...the only emotion they've got is nothing but pure hatred. Oh man, that hatred is on the level of Hollows. I don't like this at all."

"Hatred...on the level of Hollows?" Nami looked at Ichigo, managing to make out the look of concern on his face.

Then, Nami heard a voice that sent a chill down her spine, one that she had prayed she would never hear for the rest of her life. "Nami…"

Nami gasped and tensed up. Ichigo heard this and immediately looked over his shoulder in concern. "Nami!" He called. "Hey, Nami, what's wrong?"

Nami immediately found herself hyperventilating slightly. She thought she was prepared to deal with him again. She thought she had grown beyond all her trauma from back then. But just hearing that voice was a shock to her system, a shock that trudged up all of those awful, awful memories from back then.

"Oh God…" Nami moaned in terror. "Not you...I knew I would eventually have to confront you again...I thought I was ready. But saying it...believing it...easier said than done."

Nami narrowed her eyes, desperately trying to keep a cool head in spite of her trauma acting up. "Arlong…"

Ichigo's eyes widened. He recognized that name from his conversation with Nami awhile back. He knew her history with the one known as Arlong. "Hey, Nami," he said, immediately moving to calm her down "it's going to be alright. You're stronger than you were, and what happened to you in the past. Don't forget that."

Nami's hyperventilating stopped. She looked at Ichigo and smiled. "Thank you."

During their travels across Mystoria, Ichigo, to get his mind off of Nami's relentless teasing, asked her about her life before the Straw Hats, to understand just what had happened, bringing her to Luffy and the others. He was told about Arlong, about Bell-mere, about everything Arlong and his crew did to Cocoyashi Village. Nami was surprisingly open to the idea. Maybe it was because she trusted Ichigo with the knowledge of such a sad part of her life, or perhaps it was because in spite of all that tragedy, it was what lead her to her second family in the Straw Hats. But, Ichigo knew everything, and now, seeing the man who caused all of that pain, Ichigo admittedly had to keep himself from rushing the man right now.

Ichigo turned back to Arlong. "So you're Arlong, huh? I heard about what happened between the two of you. If you want to get back at Nami, you're going to have to go through me first. Then again, with how strong Nami's become since you tormented her home, I doubt I have to protect her much."

The saw-tooth Fishman glared at Ichigo for that statement. "You," he said, "you want to get in my way? You want to stop me from getting my revenge on Nami for betraying me? I hate you too! I hate you!"

Nami's eyes widened at Arlong's behavior. _This is...different._ She noted. _I mean, Arlong's gone into blind rages before, but he's usually so composed. Still, even when he's in a blind rage...there's still something different about him. Very different._

"Nami, you betrayed me. Betrayed all of us." Arlong snarled. "You ruined everything, stole everything from us! I will never forgive you! I hate you!"

Ichigo glared at Arlong disapprovingly. "The hell is your problem?" He yelled. "After everything you've done, you've got the nerve to act like you're the victim in all of this! Nami told me everything! What you did to her home! How you killed Bell-mere, her mom!"

Nami's eyes widened at how furious Ichigo sounded. Did her story have more of an affect on him than she originally realized? "Shut up!" Arlong yelled. "She was supposed to be the cornerstone of the Arlong Empire! Her maps were going to create a new world order! I would've taken care of her! But she betrayed me!"

"You know," Ichigo growled, "I've met a lot of guys who've tried to justify their crappy actions, and I've even sympathized with a few. But I've never met a guy who's had the nerve to act like they were the victim. You are just the worst."

Arlong roared in response as a dark green aura surrounded his body, his eyes turned blood red. Ichigo's eyes widened. "That power…" he muttered. "It's like magic power...but much darker...more sinister."

Then, Ichigo remembered something from long ago, and it hit him. "It's Curse Power...Kenpachi and Zoro mentioned something like that from the Worth Woodsea."

"Curse Power?" Nami looked at Ichigo in confusion.

"Power used by Etherious, demons from the Wizard World Natsu resides in." Ichigo narrowed his eyes. "Arlong...I think he may have let the Coalition turn him into an Etherious just to increase his power."

Nami covered her mouth, horrified by the notion. Even after everything he had done. She just could not believe he would do willingly do something so horrible. "I must have power." Arlong glared at Ichigo and Nami. "Because...I need to make you all pay. I...hate you all!"

Ichigo gazed at Arlong, trying to understand his power. _Did the process of being turned into an Etherious screw up his sanity? Or is this a part of his power?_ Ichigo's eyes widened. _Wait, there were two more hostile presences. Where are the other two?_

"Die, Nami!" Nami and Ichigo turned to see another Fishman leaping towards them, training his fist onto Nami.

"Kuroobi?" Nami gazed at the officer of the Arlong Pirates in surprise.

Ichigo did not hesitate. "Stay away from her!" He yelled, stepping in front of Kuroobi and swinging the larger blade of Zangetsu outwards, cutting into Kuroobi.

Kuroobi yelled in pain as he fell in front of the Substitute Soul Reaper. "Squirt Cannon!" Another voice yelled out.

Nami turned in time to see a massive sphere of water coming towards her. _The fog blinded my vision...I can't get away!_

A mass moved in front of Nami. Ichigo gritted his teeth, taking the attack head-on to protect Nami. "Ichigo?" Nami gazed at him, shocked that he had moved so fast.

Ichigo turned to Nami and smiled. "Hey, I'm your bodyguard, remember?" He told her.

Ichigo turned to where the attack had come from. "I...remember that attack." Nami admitted. "That was Chew, another one of Arlong's right-hand men."

"I take it that attack was fired in a straight-line?" Ichigo inquired curiously.

"Well...yeah." Nami nodded.

"That's all I needed to hear." Ichigo said, raising the larger blade once more.

"Squirt Machine Gun!" Chew yelled from the distance.

Ichigo responded with an attack of his own as hundreds of small water bullets flew into view. "Getsuga Tensho!" He yelled, firing an arc of spirit energy that tore straight through the volley of water gunfire.

Chew's eyes widened as Ichigo's signature attack flew into view, striking him in the chest. The Fishman let out a gasp as he began falling backwards. _He got me...and so easily too._ Chew thought, ashamed of such a pathetic display. _Arlong...sorry. I hate how pathetic that was. Make those bastards pay._

Arlong let out a gasp. "Brothers!" He yelled, furious at Ichigo for hurting his two comrades. "I hate you, Soul Reaper!"

"Don't give me that crap." Ichigo growled. "You attacked us first. Don't get pissed at me for defending myself and Nami from your attacks."

"I hate you! Both of you! All of you!" Arlong yelled, before giving a nightmarish, toothy smile. "But you know what? That's okay! Because that hatred will give me strength!"

"The hell do you mean by that?" Ichigo raised an eyebrow.

"This power is the Curse known as Grudge!" Arlong revealed.

Nami's eyes widened, immediately realizing just what this power did. "My hatred is converted into power!" Arlong explained. "My grudge against the world, against humanity, against the Straw Hats, against Nami, against you! It gives me the power to take what is mine!"

Nami found herself experiencing an emotion she thought she would never feel for Arlong: sympathy. She knew what made him this way thanks to Jinbe. And now, he has gone past the point of no return by becoming an Etherious who is literally powered by hatred for everything.

Ichigo was sympathetic as well. "You know, as a Soul Reaper, my duty is to purify the souls of Hollows, tormented souls. And you know...you're a living soul that's even more tormented than they are. As a Soul Reaper, I can't ignore this. Arlong, come at me with everything you've got, I'll purify you."

"Wait, Ichigo," Nami spoke up, "let me handle this."

Ichigo looked at Nami in surprise. "Nami, are you sure?" He asked curiously.

"This...is something I need to do." Nami said softly.

Ichigo almost balked at the idea. A part of him wanted to say no. However, he then remembered that when things were personal for him, Rukia and the others always stood aside and let him fight for his pride. He nodded and stepped aside.

Nami stepped forward, smiling at Ichigo for doing this for her. She gazed at Arlong with an unreadable expression on her face. Arlong grinned at Nami and laughed. "Nami, have you accepted your punishment than?" He asked madly. "You can surrender to me, but I will hate you for the rest of my life!"

Nami then surprised both Ichigo and Arlong by giving the Fishman a look of sympathy. "Arlong," she said, "I don't know if I'll ever fully be able to forgive you for what you did to me and to my village."

"You tormented people I knew and loved for a decade. You killed my mother, Bell-mere. And you made me your slave for your own cruel designs for the rest of the world."

Arlong growled, as though he did not see anything wrong with that. Nami looked like she was about to weep though. "And yet, a part of me can't help but feel bad for you." She admitted. "Jinbe...he told me everything, why you all turned out the way you did."

"I'm sorry your life made you the way you are." Nami admitted. "I don't know if I can forgive you...but I am sorry that you were driven to this point."

"I don't want your pity, Nami, I want you to die." Arlong told her.

"Fishman...humans...the more I of you I meet, the more I realize both species aren't so different. Both have the capacity to be good and evil, and as a pirate, I've seen both kinds of people act evil." Nami admitted.

"And I'm sorry you were driven to the point where you felt like the only way you could live was to be as evil as the humans you hated so much." Nami said genuinely. "And I'm sorry that hatred has driven you to become an actual monster."

Nami then narrowed your eyes. "But you know what, Arlong?" She continued. "No matter how bad your life was, that will never excuse what you did to the rest of the world. You are an awful man who has done awful things to good people. That cannot be forgotten. And now you're not even a man, you're a monster. All because you've let your own hate consume you."

Arlong growled at Nami's words. It was a mixture of pity and condemnation. "I knew...deep down that I would one day have to confront you, ever since this war started." Nami admitted. "And how in the world do you confront the man who murdered your mother and tormented your home for a decade?"

Nami then took a deep breath. "But now, seeing what you've become, I think there's only one thing I can say to you."

"I am stronger than you now, Arlong. What you did to me...it no longer affects me. I'm no longer your navigator slave. I am Cat Burglar Nami, proud navigator of the Straw Hat Pirates, proud navigator of Monkey D. Luffy, the man who will be King of the Pirates."

Nami narrowed her eyes. "And you are just a sad man who's become a monster consumed by hatred." She told him. "You are nothing compared to me."

Arlong's eyes widened before he snarled hatefully at Nami. "NAMI!" He screamed. "I hate you!"

Nami raised her Clima-Tact as Arlong charged her. "Shark On Darts!" Arlong yelled.

"Thunderbolt Tempo!" Nami yelled, as a lightning bolt suddenly came down, striking Arlong just as he came into view.

Arlong yelled as he was slammed into the ground, stunned by Nami's lightning. Ichigo's eyes widened in surprise, realizing that Nami had been creating storm clouds under the cover of the fog for a particularly powerful Thunderbolt Tempo. Nami looked down at Arlong in sympathy. She then walked back to Ichigo. "Could you finish him off?" She requested softly.

"You want me to kill him?" Ichigo was surprised.

"He...needs to be put down." Nami said sadly. "Arlong's let himself become a monster fueled only by hate. This is...a kindness. And Jinbe...if he was here, he would agree."

Ichigo nodded in understanding. "I'm not normally one for killing people who can't fight back...but I can understand your reasoning."

Ichigo stepped past Nami, raising the short blade of Zangetsu. "I'll make it quick." He promised.

Then, much to Nami and Ichigo's surprise, a massive pressure suddenly overcame both of them. "This malice…" Nami felt sick from the feeling.

"Curse Power," Ichigo's eyes widened, "Arlong…"

Arlong rose to his feet. "Getting in my way...always getting in my way. Why can't I just give you filthy humans and traitors what you deserve? Why can't I take what I deserve? I hate you!"

"Arlong…" Nami muttered.

"I HATE YOU!" Arlong screamed as his power continued to rise.

Ichigo narrowed his eyes, holding both blades of Zangetsu out in front of him. "Nami," he said, completely serious now, "get back."

 **A.N: Honestly though, Ichigo and Nami interactions are one of my new favorite things to write. Their personalities are just so contrasting, it's hilarious. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Next time, Ichigo vs. Arlong, not much of a fight on paper, but considering how I make irrelevant villains relevant again, I think we all know we're in for a treat.**


	17. Chapter 17: Unkillable Grudge

**A.N: Whew, boy, this was a tough one to write. Well, the first half was anyway. That's why this took an extra month. Once I got through the first half, the rest was a cakewalk, thank God.**

 **Taking a newfound, completely zen approach to writing has certainly helped too. I'm trying to block out as much negativity as possible now, simply because it's just not healthy for me.**

 **So, I hope everyone enjoys this month's chapter.**

 **Also, for anyone who enjoys my writing and wants to see some original content, check out my profile, because I just added an update for my original novel: Age of Heroes.**

 **Chapter 17: Unkillable Grudge**

"Hate! Hate! Hate! Hate! Hate! Hate! Hate! Hate! Hate! Hate! Hate! Hate! Hate! Hate! Hate! Hate! Hate! Hate! Hate! Hate! Hate! Hate! Hate! Hate! Hate! Hate! Hate! Hate! Hate! Hate!" Arlong chanted repeatedly as his body went through the terrifying metamorphosis that was the Etherious Transformation.

His body was now even more muscular, as though he were hulking out on an energy steroids dose. His skin had turned from a sickly blue to a purely dark blue, like the dark depths of the ocean. His eyes were now blood red. "Na **mi**!" Arlong screamed, his voice growing more distorted and demonic. " **I'm** g **oing** **to** k **ill** **you**!"

Nami could only look at Arlong in fear and sympathy. " _This_ is where Arlong's hatred has brought him?" She inquired in disbelief before adding softly. "No…"

" **Die! Die! DIE!"** Arlong screamed, now fully transformed into a horrifying shark demon. **"You're going to die! I'll destroy you!"**

"Nami!" Ichigo Kurosaki yelled, more forceful now. "Get back, damn it!"

Nami was snapped out of her horrified state. She looked at Ichigo, surprised that he clearly had no issue taking on a demonic form of Arlong. If she knew Ichigo as well as his dearest friends did, she would not be.

"Ichigo," Nami said to him, instinctively worried for his well being, "it's me he's after...shouldn't I…"

Ichigo shook his head. "Nami, you shouldn't feel like you have to take responsibility for what he's become. No matter how bad you feel for this guy and how bad his life was, turning into this monster was entirely his own doing. He's the one at fault for turning into an actual monster. He chose to let his hate run wild. He's no different from the Wandenreich."

"Now stay back...I can't protect you properly if you're this close to me." Ichigo told her before smiling warmly. "You did your part, you proved that you had moved forward with your life, past all the pain. Now let me do my part as your bodyguard."

" _ **DIE**_ **!"** Arlong screamed, pouncing at Ichigo and Nami, holding one of his claw-like hands. It was then enveloped in an aura of Curse Power that formed into what looked like a large blade. **"Demon Shark Fin!"**

Ichigo quickly blocked Arlong's blade of Curse Power with the larger Zangetsu blade. "Nami!" He yelled for her to get back once more.

This time, Nami complied with a nod. "You better win, bodyguard." Nami told him. "I'll never forgive you if you leave a cutie like me all alone in this fog."

Ichigo gritted his teeth and tried to push Arlong away from him to try and move on the offensive himself, only to find that Arlong was not budging. _**"Geez, partner,"**_ True Zangetsu frowned, _ **"you are already having trouble with this guy?"**_

 _Bite me, you jerk._ Ichigo growled inwardly. _This guy's power level shot up when he transformed, you know, like every other person who transforms. I've gotta hand it to the Coalition. They made someone who was no threat into a guy who's a captain-level fighter._

" _ **Hmm, sensing this guy's level of energy now, I guess you're right."**_ True Zangetsu acknowledged. _**"Man, I barely registered him as a threat before. But now...well, not that it matters. You're going to win either way, Partner. After all, you're the king."**_

" _Ichigo,"_ Old Man Zangetsu spoke up, _"fair warning, it appears that Curse of his is increasing his power level slowly. Try to beat him before he surpasses you."_

 _You think that's a possibility?_ Ichigo inquired in slight surprise.

Old Man Zangetsu fell silent for a moment before heaving a sigh. _"Ichigo,"_ he said grimly, _"two things will happen to this Arlong fellow. Either he will grow strong enough to beat even you...or his body will be unable to maintain the energy created from his hatred and his body will explode."_

 _Neither of those sound very pleasant._ Ichigo rolled his eyes inwardly before frowning. _Hold up, why is none of those outcomes me just kicking his ass and winning this fight? Don't tell me you've lost faith in me too, Zangetsu._

" _Ichigo, winning isn't an option for you."_ Old Man Zangetsu explained. _"It's something you_ _ **have**_ _to do. I simply figured it went without saying."_

Ichigo rolled his eyes. _Sheesh, sometimes I regret letting you two hang out more._ He admitted. _The old man's getting some of the psycho's snark now._

" **Get out of my way, Soul Reaper! Move!"** Arlong demanded, cutting Ichigo out of his inner musings. No, he was not having that long conversation with his two spirits while blocking Arlong's attack. Time went at a different pace when he was conversing with his Zanpakuto spirits.

"Oi, oi," Ichigo deadpanned, "hate to break it to you, but I'd be a pretty crappy bodyguard if I just stood aside."

" **Then you will suffer!"** Arlong threatened. **"I will tear you limb from limb, drink your blood, gnaw at your bones!"**

"Do you not know I am?" Ichigo raised a curious eyebrow. "Pain, failure, misery, I've felt it all. In fact,they're all basically old friends at this point. And I had to come back from it an even stronger man to become the protector I've dreamed of becoming."

" **And you want to protect that traitorous bitch?"** Arlong demanded, an insane gleam in his eyes.

"She asked me to." Ichigo said simply. "If I turned my back on someone asking for my protection, I'd have to find some way to kick my own ass. Forget being the hero that everyone seems to think I am, I'm not even a man."

"So why don't we make this easy on both of us, and _you move_!" Ichigo was yelling now. "As long as I'm here, I'm not going to let you lay a hand on Nami!"

Arlong just screamed in rage upon hearing that challenge. Ichigo's Spirit Energy suddenly became visible, the force of its projection managing to push Arlong away from him. Arlong then roared as his Curse Power increased again, now focusing all his hatred on Ichigo. **"Demon Shark Darts!"** Arlong lunged at Ichigo, aiming his now longer and even sharper nose at the Substitute Soul Reaper.

Ichigo turned the larger Zangetsu blade, letting the flat side block Arlong's absurdly sharp nose and stopping the demonic Fishman in his tracks once more. Arlong, in a surprising display of intelligence in spite of his increasing lack of mental stability, then raised his hands. Ichigo's eyes widened in slight surprise when he noticed the hands were surrounded by two blades of Curse Power, like before.

Letting out a noise that was something between a dinosaur's roar and a banshee's shriek, Arlong swung both blades toward Ichigo's neck, intent on decapitating him in a single strike. Frowning at Arlong's sudden display of tactics and trickery, Ichigo managed to vanish with a Flash Step. Arlong hissed, contorting his massive body to land safely on his feet. Ichigo became visible once more to the naked eye to hear the sounds of creaking and cracking and found himself grimacing when he realized what it was.

Arlong's body was insanely fragile at the moment. Partly because of Nami's attack from earlier, and partly because of the undoubtedly painful transformation he underwent to become an Etherious. There was no doubt in Ichigo's mind that the transformation itself left Arlong's body brittle.

If anything, he was literally running on adrenaline. Adrenaline, hatred, and most likely a healing factor that came from being an Etherious as well. That last part meant if Ichigo wanted any chance of taking him down, this fight would have to get a lot messier and involve a lot more body parts being separated.

Arlong let out another inhuman roar, making Ichigo frown. This was one of the rare moments where he honestly believed that killing someone was a kindness. This guy needed to be put out of his misery and he did not even realize it.

"Getsuga Tensho!" Ichigo fired his signature attack at Arlong, trying to cut him down and end the fight quickly, just as Old Man Zangetsu had said to him.

Arlong created those Curse-powered blades once more and swung them horizontally, cutting Ichigo's Getsuga attack in half. "Demon Shark Darts!" Arlong yelled once more, pouncing at Ichigo with tremendous speed.

This time, Ichigo side stepped as Arlong moved past him. Arlong's attacks were pretty simple to dodge, thankfully. Especially this one. He only had one direction whenever he used Demon Shark Darts: forward.

Ichigo raised the smaller Zangetsu blade over his shoulder, aiming it at Arlong's neck as the demonic Fishman moved past him. Arlong may have looked like a rocket to the average observer, but for Ichigo, who's combat senses were arguably only surpassed by Luffy's (albeit, because of Luffy's skills in Observation Haki), Arlong was moving at a regular speed.

However, what Ichigo did not expect was Arlong to once again make another surprising display of tactics. He grunted as a Curse-powered blade passed across his stomach, eyes widening slightly from the shock. Damn it. He let his guard down. Something True Zangetsu had no problem calling him out on.

" **Dumbass."** True Zangetsu bluntly called him.

 _Bite me!_ Ichigo shot right back at his snarky Zanpakuto spirit.

" _ **He**_ **will if you don't get good, Kingy."** True Zangetsu pointed out.

Ichigo glared at Arlong as the demonic Fishman landed on the ground, already crouching as though he were preparing for another Demon Shark Darts attack. "Getsuga," Ichigo raised the shorter sword into the air, "Tensho!"

Arlong had no time to avoid the attack, as a small Getsuga attack was flung into his shoulder. Arlong let out his demonic shriek as the wound spurted blood that now seemed to be an even darker shade of red, as though black and red had mixed together. Then, the wound closed just as quickly.

"Well, crap," Ichigo muttered, "so he does have a healing factor. Might be as good as the Espada's with the level of speed he just healed with."

"Demon Shark Darts!" Arlong yelled.

"Yeah, no, not this time, jerk." Ichigo growled, blocking Arlong's pounce attack with the help of the larger Zangetsu blade.

Ichigo once again raised the shorter blade to try and drive it into Arlong's skull, only for Arlong to push right off his Zanpakuto. Arlong then closed his webbed hands together, making them into fists. "Is he going to try punching at me now?" Ichigo wondered curiously.

Ichigo then narrowed his eyes. _Wait a minute, I'm sensing Curse Power being gathered up inside of his hands, what is he planning to do now?_

Arlong then opened up his hands and tossed _something_ at Ichigo. Acting on instinct, the Substitute Soul Reaper blocked the projectile with Zangetsu. He heard the distinct sound of a hard splash as his feet actually moved backwards across the ground.

 _That splash...no way, was that actually water he threw at me? Where did he even get that?_ Ichigo wondered, desperately trying to figure out the mechanics behind Arlong's attack.

Arlong roared and began tossing more water from his webbed palms at Ichigo. Ichigo gasped and began swinging his blades at the water, cutting each of them in half. However, the separated puddles managed to strike him in non vital areas. Ichigo gritted his teeth, feeling the water push down his flesh and smash into his bones. It was like being hit by one of Kenpachi's punches.

Arlong closed his fists again. Ichigo sensed the Curse Power in his palms once more. At that moment, his mind began to put the pieces together, and he quickly figured out just how Arlong was throwing damaging water at him. _He's actually taking the moisture in the air and using Curse Power to make it transmute into water._ Ichigo realized.

 _And because of his Fishman strength, amplified by his Etherious body, the guy can pretty much make water feel like getting punched by Kenpachi, and that's just by_ _ **throwing it**_ _!_

Arlong began tossing the water at Ichigo once more. _Cutting at it is out of the question._ Ichigo noted. _If what happened before is any indication, I'm just making more problems for myself. It's like cutting off the heads of a hydra. Sheesh, if only it were that easy. I know how to kill a hydra._

He was a man of the arts deep down. Someone who reads and enjoys Shakespeare would know how to kill a hydra. An idea then came to Ichigo, making the substitute smirk. _If Curse Power brought it together, than Spirit Energy will be what tears it apart._

At that moment, Ichigo tightened his grip on the Zangetsu blades as his Spirit Energy became visible. The sheer force of his power created something of a barrier that pushed away the water Arlong had tossed at him, dissipating and falling harmlessly to the ground like normal drops of rain.

Arlong let out a frustrated shriek at the sight of his attack failing. Arlong's claws became even more elongated as his hatred for Ichigo grew. **"Demon Shark Frenzy!"** Arlong yelled, sprinting towards Ichigo.

Arlong swung his claws at Ichigo in a brutal frenzy. Ichigo narrowed his eyes Arlong's strength was growing as his hatred for Ichigo grew. The downside, however, was that the more Arlong's hatred grew, the less sanity he had. And the less sanity he had, the less thought he put into each of his attacks.

If anything, Arlong was a much more pissed off version of Ichigo was when he started acting as a Substitute Soul Reaper. A lot of strength, but no thought or technique behind the attack. Thankfully, Kisuke had beaten that out of him when they had been training to go and rescue Rukia from the Soul Society.

On the first day of training, Ichigo had discovered the name of his Zanpakuto. The rest of the time, he and Kisuke simply sparred. What Ichigo never told anyone was that for half the time they spent simply sparring, Kisuke beat the ever-loving hell out of him. It was not even close. Funny enough, the beatdowns he got from old Hat and Clogs gave him the confidence to fight the Thirteen Court Guard Squads back then. If he could survive Kisuke, who was holding back considerably, he could definitely survive whatever they could throw at him in trying to save Rukia (that was before he met Kenpachi, by the way).

 _An opening!_ Another downside to Arlong's more brutal, nearly blind-rage attacks. He left some pretty glaring openings.

Ichigo vanished with Flash Step and reappeared behind Arlong, holding the larger Zangetsu blade out horizontally. Arlong shrieked as a deep gash appeared on his stomach, making him stumble backwards. "Getsuga Tensho!" Ichigo struck Arlong in the back with a blast from the smaller blade now.

Ichigo's eyes then widened in disgust as Arlong turned his head 180 degrees. He could hear the sickening creaks and cracks of bones. But Arlong simply did not seem to care. Arlong took one look at Ichigo and roared at him again. Arlong then twisted his body back to normal like a contortionist. _He's ignoring the damage. He's pure rage now._ Ichigo realized.

Arlong's entire body expanded to an even more muscular version of itself. His wounds completely closed up. He was now a thirteen foot tall, shrieking, roaring monstrosity that was once a man. He then began heaving, much to Ichigo's disgust. The Substitute Soul Reaper watched as Arlong heaved out full sets of teeth that he held in his hand like castanets.

" **Demon Tooth Attack!"** Arlong hissed, lunging at Ichigo once more.

Ichigo's eyes widened at the speed of Arlong's attacks. He found himself on the defensive, weaving his body out of Arlong's reach, or rather, the reach of his "Demon Teeth". Unfortunately, his dodging was to no avail, and Ichigo was suddenly struck in the shoulder and the side by Arlong's Demon Teeth. Arlong gave a truly chilling smile as he tightened his grip on the teeth, digging them deep into Ichigo's flesh.

Ichigo gritted his teeth, trying his best to avoid crying out in pain. A monster like this did not need the satisfaction of hearing his opponent scream. And he could not make Nami worry about him.

Arlong then opened his mouth, showing another row of sharp teeth. Ichigo's eyes widened. Arlong was going to tear his throat out with chompers like those. However, here was one advantage to being way, way, way, shorter than a thirteen-foot demon: Headbutts always work.

As Arlong neared Ichigo's throat, the Substitute waited for his chance and then sent his head straight into Arlong's lower jaw. Arlong could not let out a shriek this time, due to his jaw being forced close. The shock of the blow made the demonic Fishman stumble backwards and release his grip on Ichigo.

Ichigo gritted his teeth, feeling blood run down his body. Arlong's Demon Teeth had gotten him good. **"I reiterate, you're a dumbass."** True Zangetsu deadpanned.

"Oh shut up," Ichigo growled, " as long as he stays far away from Nami and keeps his focus on me, I can take whatever this guy throws at me and throw it right back in his ugly face."

" **We both know that's not a winning strategy, Partner."** True Zangetsu reminded him. **"It's just like the old man said. The longer this fight takes, the more that freakshow's hate for you grows. And the more his hatred grows, the stronger he gets."**

"Yeah, I realize that." Ichigo narrowed his eyes in frustration as Arlong vanished into the fog. "This is a lot easier said than done, you know. I can sense his presence, but the problem is, this damn fog screws with my vision to the point where I barely have any time to react."

" _Well, you've got a solution at your disposal already."_ Old Man Zangetsu spoke up. _"Ichigo, your massive Spirit Energy creates a force beyond anything else. If you exerted your Spiritual Pressure, you could change the weather on this island for a long enough time to see Arlong and end this fight."_

" **That's...not a bad idea, actually."** True Zangetsu acknowledged.

Ichigo thought that over. _It is a good idea._ He admitted before acknowledging a personal issue with this plan. _But if I keep relying on what I've got at my disposal now, that won't bring me any sort of benefits in the long run._

 _This war has proven one thing. It's never enough. Climb one mountain, and a much larger one is on the other side. As strong as I am now...I can't be satisfied with this any longer. Otherwise, I'm going to reach a point where I_ _ **will**_ _run into someone too strong for me to beat. And then...I'm going to lose everyone I care about._

" **Oi, partner, the hell are you thinking about?"** True Zangetsu demanded.

Ichigo chuckled. "Sorry, guys," he said, "but I'm going to have to pass on that idea."

" **Okay, I'm going to sound like a colossal hypocrite for saying this, but are you insane?!"** True Zangetsu demanded. **"We just gave you a full-proof strategy to make this an easy win, and you're not going to take it?"**

"That is one hundred percent accurate, yes." Ichigo acknowledged with a nod. "I can't take the easy way out, not when I've got a crap-ton of even tougher enemies waiting for me after this guy. You can't hope to progress without challenging yourself first. And in order to progress through this crazy new world that's been created by this war, well, I've got to challenge myself like nothing else before."

" _Huh? You want to learn about Observation Haki?"_ Monkey D. Luffy had asked him during the long break between campaigns.

" _A power like that is a swordsman's dream, Luffy."_ Ichigo had explained. _"A swordsman that can accurately predict his opponent's next swing becomes even more of an asset on the battlefield. I can protect more people if I know what's coming before it happens."_

" _Well, doesn't that logic apply to everyone?"_ Luffy responded in a very matter of fact tone.

" _Luffy, I'm just trying to explain to you why I need that power, please don't read too much into it."_

" _Well, I'm not really the type to teach."_ Luffy had admitted. _"Every time I do try to teach something though, the rest of the crew kinda just tunes me out. I don't know why. I think I've got plenty of smart things to say."_

" _Getting off topic, Luffy."_

" _I mean, I could introduce you to Rayleigh, I'm sure he'd be more than willing to take some time to teach you. Then again, he's rarely around now. Must be because of that other student of his. That one that's always hanging around Zoro."_

" _Luffy, it's gotta be you."_ Ichigo had annoyedly told him before smiling. _"Why wouldn't I want to learn Observation Haki from my bro?"_

" _Shi shi shi!"_ That made Luffy laugh. _"Well I guess you've got a point there. And why wouldn't I want to help make my bro stronger?"_

" _Here's the thing,"_ Luffy had told him, _"when I was training Observation Haki, Rayleigh always had me close my eyes, and then he started throwing attack after attack at me."_

" _...Why?"_

" _I was kinda confused too. But Rayleigh told me something. He said: 'The pirates who get stuck in Paradise are the ones who rely solely on their eyes. To survive in the New World, you need to know when to cast them off and rely on your inner senses to sail to the end.'"_

" _...The hell does that even mean?"_

Luffy had just smiled at that statement. _"I didn't get it at first, but then I actually unlocked my Haki. Basically, Observation Haki becomes another sense. And when you've got people that can move as fast as light itself, you need to have that sense to still be able to see them."_

 _Fast as light itself._ Ichigo remembered that line in particular. _I've gone up against some insanely fast enemies in my life, and I've managed to follow their movements even without Haki. It definitely makes someone wonder why I'd even need something like that._

Ichigo narrowed his eyes. _It's simple, because this new reality of ours keeps redefining what 'fast' actually is. Once we reach the end...there's no doubt in my mind we'll be facing enemies who are faster than fast. No, even faster than that. Enemies that can go beyond what we consider to be impossible. Which means we have to go beyond the impossible too._

Ichigo closed his eyes, desperately trying to sense for Arlong's presence and movements. _My body...my very senses...they need to be able to do the impossible for me to protect everyone. And to reach that level...I'll gladly take any pain that's dished out at me!_

" **I** _ **really**_ **hope you know what you're doing, partner."** True Zangetsu told him.

Ichigo began taking multiple cleansing breaths. _Okay, keep your mind cleared, Ichigo._ He reminded himself. _Remember, with Haki, you cannot just rely on your five main senses. You have to shut them out and summon your will from your very soul._

" **DIE!"** Arlong suddenly lunged at Ichigo from the fog, delivering a brutal punch to Ichigo's stomach. He seemed to have discarded his teeth in favor of simply pummeling Ichigo to death. Another sign of his growing insanity thanks to the Etherious transformation.

Ichigo grit his teeth, stumbling back a few feet, but managed to remain standing. _It doesn't hurt._ He told himself. _I can take it. I can take anything he throws at me._

Arlong narrowed his eyes at how easily Ichigo had shrugged off his haymaker. **"I don't like that."** He growled. **"I hate that!"**

Arlong rushed at Ichigo and threw a flurry of haymakers at him. Ichigo steeled himself and desperately tried to sense for the locations of Arlong's attacks. However, he failed continuously and was consequently repeatedly assailed by Arlong's punches. **"Partner!"** True Zangetsu sounded surprisingly worried for Ichigo's wellbeing.

" _Be silent,"_ Old Man Zangetsu calmly told him, _"Ichigo needs to concentrate."_

True Zangetsu growled but followed his fellow spirit's orders. **"JUST DIE ALREADY!"** Arlong screamed. **"I demand it! Demand it! DEMAND IT!"**

Ichigo gritted his teeth, standing his ground and taking each punch. _...You know, I always knew my stamina was up to par, but even_ _ **I'm**_ _impressed that I'm shrugging all of these punches off._ He mused. _Now if I could just figure out where they are coming from…_

Ichigo gasped for a brief moment before taking a punch to the jaw. He remembered it clearly. A flash of light in his mind in the shape of a single massive, muscular arm. It was brief, and gone as soon as Ichigo recovered from the blow, but he had seen it clearly. He gasped inwardly.

 _Was that...Haki?_ He wondered.

Ichigo quickly got over his surprise and returned to concentrating. _Come on...find that feeling again. Replicate it. Surpass your limits, Ichigo!_ He encouraged himself.

As this happened, Arlong simply continued smashing Ichigo with haymakers. He grew increasingly angry at the fact that Ichigo simply refused to go down. This anger, of course, had an adverse effect of eating away at what little sanity the Fishman still had. And so, Arlong simply let out animalistic shriek after animalistic shriek and continued to assail Ichigo.

Ichigo continued to concentrate. Then, much to his surprise and relief, the image of Arlong's fist appeared once more. This time, however, both fists were showing up in his mind. A clear mental image. However, the images showed up too late, and Ichigo was still dealt the two blows.

 _Damn it, just work already! Unlock! I don't care what you call it, but please, come to me!_ Ichigo could not help but vent. _I...I can't afford to hit a wall where I can't protect anyone. Not again…_

At that moment, the very heavens themselves seemed to hear Ichigo's prayers, and a clear image of Arlong punching at Ichigo appeared in his mind. Ichigo let out a gasp and began avoiding the images of Arlong's punches...and avoiding the ones in real life as well.

 _Is this...Observation Haki? My Haki?_ Ichigo wondered.

Inside of Ichigo's mindscape, True Zangetsu gazed at Old Man Zangetsu suspiciously. **"Something you're hiding from us** _ **again**_ **Old Man?"** He demanded.

Old Man Zangetsu just smiled proudly. _"Out of everyone, Ichigo was arguably the one with the most potential for Haki. Well, technically that goes for everyone from the World of Soul Reapers, but due to his immense Spirit Energy, Ichigo's potential is the greatest. In fact, he arguably has even greater potential for Haki then Monkey D. Luffy."_

" **The hell are you talking about?"** True Zangetsu demanded, now incredibly confused.

" _To put in simple terms, Haki is just another term for Spirit Energy and Spiritual Pressure."_ Old Man Zangetsu revealed. _"Haki, at its core is the ability to sense and predict spiritual energy, manifest your own energy as a sort of physical reinforcement, and in rare cases, overpower people with your own strength of will. Does that not sound like the power the spiritually aware possess?"_

" _Think of it as a tree."_ Old Man Zangetsu continued. _"The trunk is the basics. Spiritual Pressure, Spirit Energy, Zanpakutos, etcetera. And one of many branches…"_

" **Is Haki."** True Zangetsu realized. **"Son of a bitch, so that's why it came to Ichigo so easily."**

Old Man Zangetsu nodded. _"Ichigo has branched off and expanded his repertoire. I'll admit, he got it faster than even I expected. But Haki, from what I have gathered from observing fighters from the Pirate World, can be unlocked under moments of extreme shock. In Ichigo's case, that shock came from extreme stress over the prospect of eventually not being able to protect what is precious to him."_

" **So it all comes back to his heroic resolve yet again."** True Zangetsu mused before smirking proudly. **"Well that** _ **is**_ **why he's the king. Guess the horse won't have to trample his sorry ass again for awhile."**

As the two spirits that inhabited Ichigo's blades conversed about their master and friend's growth, Ichigo himself continued to avoid Arlong's attacks with the greatest of ease. _It's strange._ He thought to himself. _I don't feel any faster and I'm certainly not moving any faster. And yet...Arlong seems strangely slow now. Is this how it feels to use Observation Haki? The ability to predict and then react to your opponent's attacks?_

Ichigo could not help but smile. _Luffy, I can't help but feel jealous and pissed at you, buddy. You were hoarding this all to yourself and_ _ **all**_ _four of us are trying to get stronger. You and I are going to have words when I'm done here._

" **DIE!"** Ichigo was suddenly cut from his thoughts by Arlong screaming at him.

Ichigo sighed. _Too bad,_ he thought, _he's going to hate me even more now._

Ichigo weaved his way through Arlong's attacks and then vanished into the wind with Flash Step. Arlong gasped in pain as Ichigo appeared behind him with both blades held horizontally. A deep, x-shaped gash appeared across Arlong's chest. Arlong quickly shrugged off the attack and spun around, preparing to pounce at Ichigo once more. **"Demon Shark-"**

Ichigo saw it coming. "Getsuga Jujisho!" A cross-shaped blast of Spirit Energy, struck Arlong dead on, pushing the demonic Fishman backwards.

Arlong dug his feet into the ground, trying to stop his backward-progress so that he may recover and launch a counterattack at Ichigo. Ichigo, however, had no intention of letting Arlong recover. He sped towards Arlong and stabbed him right through the stomach with the larger blade. "Now that I've got this new power, I've got no reason to let up against you. We're finishing this Arlong!" He declared.

Arlong screamed in rage at this. He lunged his jaw forward several times as Ichigo pushed him backwards, driving Zangetsu deeper into his body. However, with Ichigo's Observation Haki, avoiding Arlong's speedy bite attacks was now a trivial matter. Ichigo then let out a powerful yell, coating the larger blade was Spirit Energy and creating a blast that launched Arlong off the blade and into the ground.

"Have you had enough yet?" Ichigo inquired.

Arlong immediately got to his feet, surprisingly unbothered by the giant hole in his body. Ichigo, who has seen countless horrible injuries, actually grimaced at the sight. "I had to ask." He muttered to himself.

" **Nothing will kill me! Not until I've made every human in the world suffer!"** Arlong yelled, briefly returning to a more saner version of himself. It appeared that actual pain was able to knock him out of his feral state for a moment. **"I will avenge all the Fishman who suffered because of humans!"**

Ichigo narrowed his eyes. "And what about all the humans who suffered because of Fishmen?" He demanded.

" **Everything done to humans is justice!"** Arlong yelled. **"It was humans who enslaved the Fishmen! Humans who hurt the Fishmen! Everything I do to humans is right! Just!"**

"So you're telling me that Nami's village had it coming?" Ichigo yelled back.

" **In order for the world to be made right, humans must suffer every single injustice the Fishmen faced!"** Arlong claimed.

"And where does it end, Arlong?" Ichigo demanded.

" **Never!"** Arlong yelled. **"It will never be enough to compensate the Fishmen for what they have suffered!"**

"And that right there is exactly why I can't let you win!" Ichigo told him. "Protecting Nami is reason enough, but that right there is also a damn good reason. You've just showed how much of a damn fool that people like you really are! And I'm not just talking about Fishmen! Humans, Fishmen, Soul Reapers, Quincy, there are always guys like you! People who feel like they have the right to deal out justice because that will somehow lessen the pain they've felt. And they think it's okay because 'oh hey, my life is crap, whatever I do is just because of that.'"

Ichigo narrowed his eyes. "But justice born from your pain, suffering and hatred isn't justice at all! That's just vengeance! You can dress it up anyway you want, but you're still every bit as evil as the people who wronged you."

Arlong let out a scream upon hearing those words, his Curse Power increased yet again. His sanity began to slip once more. **"And what makes you any better? Aren't Soul Reapers dealers of 'justice' for spirits? You who impose your will on your world in the name of justice and order, trampling on spirits like Hollows. How are you any different?"**

"Oh don't pull that stupid crap with me. We are nothing alike, so don't even try that." Ichigo rolled his eyes. Why do so many of his enemies try to bring him down to their level like that? That _really_ got old.

"You just don't get me at all, Arlong." Ichigo told him. "Justice? Don't give me that! It was never about justice for me. And certainly not your idea of justice. If it was, I'd have gone on some crusade against Hollows."

"I just do what I know in my heart is right, that's all!" Ichigo declared. "That's what it means to be the 'Number One Guardian!'"

Arlong snarled. **"Funny you should mention your heart, because that's what I'm about to crush!"** And with that, Arlong leapt right at him, spinning rapidly. **"Demon Shark Tooth Drill!"**

Ichigo remained calm in the face of the massive drill coming to pierce him. He raised the larger blade into the air. His blade suddenly blackened, making him smile lightly. _It really does come down to concentration._ He noted. _If I had tried this back then, when my heart was constantly in turmoil, I could've never pulled it off._

 _But as an Act of Order and soldier in the Allied Forces, my heart couldn't be any clearer._

And with his heart clear and his powers truly set free, as shown since the battle with the Wandenreich, Ichigo had full control over his massive power. Which made imbuing Zangetsu with his very life force, the essence of Armament Haki, a trivial manner.

" **I'll run you through!"** Arlong yelled, nearing Ichigo, ready to pierce right through the Subsitute's body.

Ichigo remained calm. "No, you won't." He said simply. "Arlong, this is where you lose."

And when Arlong's Demon Shark Tooth Drill form was right in front of Ichigo, Ichgo brought the proverbial hammer down. "Kuro Zangetsu!" He yelled, hammering the blackened blade right onto Arlong.

The force was so great, Arlong's momentum was stopped cold. The Fishman let out a brief yell before he was slammed into the ground. A crater was created beneath the two warriors with a deafening boom. The force itself actually created a shockwave that _cleared_ the fog in the immediate area, revealing a hiding Nami.

"Eh?!" She said in disbelief.

Nami looked at Ichigo in utter disbelief. _The force of his attack changed the weather._ She could not say anything to Ichigo. Her mouth simply would not allow it. She simply settled on smiling. _Seriously, you boys are amazing._

Ichigo looked around, having literally just noticed Nami. "Oh, hey," he said, "glad you're still okay."

Nami smiled, finding her voice. "Well, I had a pretty badass bodyguard." She noted.

Ichigo chuckled. "Yeah, you did." He said, in full agreement, gazing at the blackened Zangetsu. "And I surpassed my own limits and unlocked Haki, so I guess protecting you was worthwhile after all."

Nami pouted. "The hell's that supposed to mean, buster?" She demanded. "You telling me that protecting a hottie with a body like yours truly wasn't worthwhile? It wasn't reward enough?"

Ichigo just smirked. "Well at least you're not calling yourself cute." He joked. "We're making progress."

Ichigo walked over to Nami, he gestured over his shoulder. "Anyway, what do you want to do with Arlong? It's your call."

Nami gazed at the downed Arlong with a mixture of anger and also sympathy. She truly hated Arlong for everything he had done, but seeing him in a state like this...she could not help but pity him as well. However, she also knew one thing. "I don't...think I want him to die, Ichigo." She admitted.

"And why's that?" Ichigo asked curiously.

Nami sighed. "Letting a guy like this continue to run free will leave a bad taste in my mouth. I'll admit that much." She said. "After all...he killed the woman I called 'mother.'"

"However," Nami continued, "killing him would just leave an even worse taste in my mouth. And I know that Bell-mere would never want me to stoop to such a level. She raised me to be kind and dedicated to whatever dream I set my mind to. She didn't raise me to be a killer. She saw enough death as a marine. I...don't think she wanted her daughter to turn out the same."

Ichigo smiled and patted Nami on the shoulder. "Nami," he said kindly, "I think you made the right choice. And I know Bell-mere would tell you the same thing."

"So," Ichigo continued, putting his plan into motion, "let's go ahead and get this guy restrained and then continue on to find the device powering the barrier. Since the enemy was here it shouldn't be too far…"

" **And just where do you fools think you're going?"** A darkly familiar voice demanded. It was calm, but truly dangerous.

Nami and Ichigo's eyes went wide in terror. "No way…" Nami muttered in disbelief.

" **Nami...Ichigo Kurosaki...you two are going nowhere, not until I have taken all of my rage out on you."** Arlong rose to his feet like a marionette.

Nami noticed how broken Arlong's body looked and voiced her objection. "Just stop it, Arlong!" She yelled. "You're body's in no shape to continue! You need to stop this!"

" **Silence!"** Arlong screamed. **"The day I take advice from a filthy human...like hell I'll ever do that!"**

Arlong then vomited up a gallon of blood. **"Damn, but this body of mine won't last much longer."** He realized. **"This is the end, for all of us."**

"All of us?" Nami wondered in confusion.

Ichigo's eyes widened in terror. "No, he wouldn't." He muttered to himself.

At that moment, Arlong's Curse Power shot up to a frightening level. A visible aura appeared around him and took the shape of a sphere. **"I'm taking you with me!"** Arlong declared. **"In fact, I'm going to blow this entire island to kingdom come!"**

"That bastard!" Ichigo cursed in frustration. "What is he thinking?! How is this logical to him?"

"Stop it, Arlong!" Nami pleaded with surprising passion upon hearing that he intended to blow himself up with the rest of the island. "Please, stop!"

"This won't accomplish anything!" Nami reasoned. "You blow up the island with everyone on it, all you're going to do is make people hate you and maybe even the Fishmen even more! Horrible man you may be, you always cared about the Fishmen! King Neptune, Princess Shirahoshi, and everyone on Fishman Island! They're making great strides to creating a peaceful world so no Fishman has to suffer like you did! Don't ruin it all for them, Arlong! I'm begging you! Don't do this!"

Arlong ignored Nami. The sphere grew. "Arlong!" Nami called out once more.

Ichigo then placed a comforting hand on Nami's shoulder. "Nami," he said softly, "there's nothing you can do for him. He's...gone off the deep end. He's too far gone. I'm afraid...there's only one thing that can be done for him now."

Nami almost started weeping, realizing immediately what Ichigo meant. "Do what you must." She said softly.

"Nami," Nami perked up, hearing Ichigo's voice once more, "for whatever it's worth, the fact that you still tried to find a peaceful outcome for the man who killed your mother...in a way that makes you even stronger than me. I still couldn't do that. Hell, I could never do that."

"However, as your bodyguard," Ichigo continued, "I can do this."

Ichigo held both of the blades of Zangetsu out in front of him. "Alright, Bankai!" He yelled as the two blades merged into one. "Tensa Zangetsu!"

Ichigo took a few test swings with his Bankai. "Feels like it's been forever since I busted you out." He mused.

"Oh well, time to cut through that Curse Power...and Arlong for that matter. It's only right for me to clean up my own mess." Ichigo stated like it was the easiest thing ever.

 _And I think I've got just the new move to do it, now that my Haki has been unlocked._ Ichigo smirked confidently.

" **It's no use!"** Arlong yelled. **"You will all die with me! But my grudge shall make me immortal! A never ending, unkillable grudge! Let my hate spread to all Fishmen who have suffered like me! And let their own hate create a new Arlong Empire from my ashes!"**

"Oh my God, just shut up already." Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Hatred this, grudges that, you can act like what you do is just and how superior you Fishmen are all you want, but in reality you're just some guy throwing a temper tantrum like a little kid."

Ichigo raised Tensa Zangetsu over his head, holding it with both hands. "But I'm going to do something about it. The thing about curing hatred is that you can only cure it when someone wants to get better. But in your case, I'm just going to have to tear it out by the roots."

"And this next attack, is going to be what does it."

Ichigo's grip on Tensa Zangetsu tightened, "Getsuga," He said lowly before swinging downwards, creating a nearly transparent blade of black-colored spirit energy, "Kisho!"

Nami watched in disbelief as Ichigo's Haki-empowered Getsuga cut straight through Arlong's sphere of Curse Power with ease. The arc of Spirit Energy continued to travel before reaching Arlong, and ripping right through him.

Arlong only had time to let out a brief grunt of pain before slowly falling into two halves. Nami gasped as the curse sphere began to dissipate harmlessly into the wind. Without its source feeding it, there was nothing left to maintain it, so it would simply fade into the wind.

As Arlong's corpse fell to the ground, Ichigo remained surprisingly impassive. "You can consider that one from all the people who suffered because of your rage, hatred and selfishness." Ichigo told him. "So long, Mr. Hate. It looks like I just killed your unkillable grudge."

Nami watched with a hint of sympathy as both of Arlong's halves fell to the ground. "Oh Arlong…" she said softly, unable to restrain genuine feelings of sadness.

Ichigo took a deep breath, audibly relieved at the fact that Mystoria island and everyone on it was safe and sound. He did not revert Zangetsu back to normal, just in case there was someone else to deal with.

Ichigo gazed at Arlong's corpse with genuine sympathy. _I really did not want to do that._ He admitted inwardly. _Taking lives like that...especially the life of someone as sad and pitiful as Arlong was...that's never going to leave a good taste in my mouth._

Ichigo looked over his shoulder, noticing Nami's sad and sympathetic gaze. He gave her a small smile and walked over to her. He patted her shoulder sympathetically, his small smile becoming sweet and gentle. "It's over," he promised, "Arlong...he's been put to rest, and you can finally move forward."

Nami nodded in understanding. She smiled back. "You...didn't have to involve yourself in this." She noted. "Then again, neither did Luffy back in the day. You didn't have to...but you wanted to, and you did."

"Ichigo...thanks."

Ichigo nodded kindly. He turned forward once more. "Okay, for real now." He said. "We're going to find the device powering the barrier and take it down."

"Well, isn't this disappointing." Ichigo and Nami froze once more at the sound of someone else's voice. A dark presence filled their hearts.

"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me." Ichigo groaned in annoyance. "Why are people constantly interrupting us in a moment of triumph. So damn cliche."

"Cliche?" A figure with no face stepped into view, making Nami go pale with fright. "Come now, Ichigo Kurosaki, there's no need to be so rude. You'll see soon enough that there is nothing cliche about the people of Rakuen. After all, there is nothing cliche about superiority."

Ichigo's eyes widened at the mere presence of this figure. For the first time in a long time, he found himself shaking from fear. Nami noticed this and gasped. _Ichigo...he's so powerful. If he's actually worried about this guy, then he must be bad news._

The faceless being took one look at Arlong's corpse and sighed in disappointment. "Oh dear," he said sadly, "and after all the effort I went to making his body compatible with the Etherious Transformation. Mard Geer's going to be cross when he hears about this as well."

Ichigo kept a tight grip on Tensa Zangetsu, just in case this...thing decided they wanted to fight. The faceless being then started laughing cruelly. "Oh well, you win some, you lose some." He brushed off the failure. "Science is all about failures and learning _from_ those failures. I'll come up with something greater next time."

"Excuse me?" Nami was shocked at hearing this man's callousness.

"And besides, it's not like I didn't expect this to fail." The being admitted. "A Grudge Curse? A power like that can only lead to ruin, especially in the hands of a fool like Arlong."

The being heaved a sigh. "Even so...I had hoped that this kind of power would be of service to Lord Konton. A power like that, at the disposal of someone with a burning hatred for his own flesh and blood. He'd be unstoppable. But even I don't want to risk my king losing control of his own power. That would lead to ruin for us all."

The being walked up to Arlong's body. "You provided me great data from this, Arlong. But, I'm afraid you're as useless as the East Blue you sought to rule over. I'd say you're no longer of any use to me, but considering the position you're in, I doubt even you could argue with me on that statement."

"What are you talking about?" Nami and Ichigo looked over their shoulders and gasped.

Kuroobi and Chew walked past Nami and Ichigo, barely acknowledging them. Both were lumbering, still feeling their injuries from earlier. "You...you used us...for research?" Chew demanded in disbelief. "Sagi...how could you?"

"Well, to be blunt, yes." Sagi the Fraud said smugly. "And what of it? You otherworld trash are nothing but fodder for us. You're cattle that we slaughter at our leisure when it is useful for us to advance our own agenda."

"I mean, really, did you honestly think _we_ were equals? No, never equals. You are our pawns, never forget that." Sagi said cruelly.

"Bastard!" Kuroobi screamed in fury. "We gave up everything for your goals because we thought they aligned with our own!"

"And they did, but we never once said you wouldn't be sacrificed to reach _ours_." Sagi corrected.

"We threw away everything for you people!" Kuroobi snarled.

"Arlong willingly turned himself into a monster for you." Chew said hatefully.

"We will never forgive you!" Both men yelled, charging Sagi.

"No, stop!" Nami screamed. "Kuroobi, Chew!"

Sagi sighed. "Oh well, time to test the combat specs of this Faux Man."

With that, Sagi vanished into the wind. A gust of wind blew past Kuroobi and Chew. Both Fishmen froze in place before their heads were suddenly separated from their bodies. Ichigo's eyes widened at the sheer brutality while Nami screamed in horror. Sagi reappeared, holding the severed heads of both Kuroobi and Chew. He held their heads close to his face and chuckled callously.

"Alas, poor Fishmen, I knew them well." He said mockingly before cackling madly.

Ichigo snapped. He flash stepped towards Sagi. Sagi sighed and tossed the two severed heads into the air, catching the blade of Tensa Zangetsu with ease. "Something you'd like to say to me, Ichigo Kurosaki?" Sagi inquired curiously.

"I've got plenty to say you son of a bitch!" Ichigo yelled. "How could you do that to your own allies?"

"Haven't you been paying attention?" Sagi asked. "I don't consider my research subjects my allies. Hell, not a single otherworlder is an ally, as far as I'm concerned."

"They're nothing more than pawns to be used for whatever we of Rakuen fancy. And once they're of no use, we simply dispose of them." Sagi revealed. "Livestock are killed for their meat every day. It's no different! This is what the natural order of the world is, Ichigo Kurosaki."

"I can't believe you're treating living beings-your own allies-like they're just tools for you to use as you please!" Nami tearfully screamed at Sagi. "Being a crappy boss to your subordinates is one thing, but you completely devalue your own allies as people! Like they're just objects! You're inhuman!"

Sagi chuckled. "You're right," he admitted, pushing Ichigo off of him, "I'm _nothing_ like you. I'm not human. I'm a Watcher, a Watcher who's going to be one of the new rulers of the universe...under Lord Konton's rule as god, of course."

Sagi then turned away. "Hey!" Ichigo yelled furiously. "Don't you dare turn your back on me! On us! We're not done here!"

"No, we are." Sagi said simply. "As much as I'd like to stick around and test the combat specs on my Faux Man a bit more, I'm afraid I'm needed elsewhere at the moment. Besides, the barrier's going to fall whether I fight you or not. It was a good little idea at the time, but devoting my time and energy to a failing plan is far beneath someone of my caliber."

"Oh, but one more thing, Ichigo Kurosaki." Sagi said. "Well done, unlocking Haki of all things. You and your 'brothers' are truly making splendid research subjects. Unfortunately as you are now...well, I'm afraid you won't even live long enough to face Lord Konton. There are eight others in Rakuen who's strength either matches or surpasses mine. And this Faux Man unfortunately slows our abilities to something of a crawl."

Ichigo's eyes widened. "Nine of us, and you've only gotten a taste of what our power truly is." Sagi revealed. "I'd say give up now, but you're so predictable, you won't. Just don't say I didn't warn you. You can cut down as many of those pieces of trash that Rakuen has allied with all you wish, but you're still picking a fight you have no chance at winning."

"But by all means, keep trying, you're providing me excellent data after all." With that, Sagi's Faux Man vanished into darkness.

Nami collapsed to her knees. Ichigo immediately forgot his anger towards Sagi and ran over to check on Nami. "Are you alright?" He asked.

"I've met so many horrible people over the years...even had to work for a few." Nami admitted. "But...I've never met someone like that before. I just...don't get it. What possesses people to become that way? How could someone be that twisted?"

Ichigo sighed. "I don't know," he admitted.

"And how could anyone want to work with them?" Nami continued. "Don't they know they're just being used?"

"...I don't know." Ichigo repeated.

Ichigo saw how emotionally drained Nami was and gave her a comforting smile. "Hey," he said, "why don't we just rest up here? I'm sure someone else will find the device and destroy it."

"...Umm, could I maybe have a minute with the bodies?" Nami asked softly. "There's...something I feel like I should do with them."

Ichigo nodded in understanding.

Meanwhile, Shunsui Kyoraku heaved a sigh as Brain completely vanished into darkness. "Sheesh, no cool bad-guy lines for me before you leave huh?" Shunsui mused. "Just a wordless retreat."

"Commander, is something like that really worth complaining over?" Nanao Ise inquired curiously.

"...I mean, I do enjoy the bad guy speeches, I really do." Shunsui admitted. "Oh well, I wonder if that means someone's made it to the device? Well, if that were the case, we should be hearing something soon."

Shunsui sat cross legged on the ground. Nanao gave her superior a deadpan stare. "You know, sir, you could always go find the device yourself. Show a little initiative as the Regimental Commander of the Alliance's Fighting Divisions."

"Nah, too much effort." Shunsui brushed her off with a smile. "It's more rewarding that my men have their own small victories. Gives them confidence going into the next fight. Besides, like I said, if Brain ran off then that means someone's already taken out the device. I'd rather not have all the wasted energy. I got enough exercise for one day."

"Sir, your laziness is truly inexcusable at times like these." Nanao said in exasperation. "You should just go ahead and hunt for the device yourself, and…"

Shunsui held up a hand to silence Nanao. He tapped against the headpiece in his ear. "Oh? What's that, the device has been shattered? Well that's wonderful news." He said in an overly-happy tone to tease Nanao.

Nanao growled angrily. "Damn you…" She snarled.

Back at Rakuen, Sagi chuckled as he removed the devices connecting him to his Faux Man. "Well, that was a surprisingly eventful stroll through the fog." He mused. "It's just too bad the experiments were such a miserable failure."

"Frustrated, Sagi?" Sagi turned to see Konton gazing at him with a knowing smirk.

"Oh, nothing like that, my liege." Sagi assured Konton. "As I told Ichigo Kurosaki, failure is just a part of science."

Konton chuckled. "Oh, I see." He mused. "And just how has one of my brother's little pet projects improved since the last campaign?"

"I'll admit, he's powerful, but if I fought him in the flesh, he'd stand no chance." Sagi proclaimed. "Frankly, that goes for all the Circles."

"Do not make the same mistake as our allies, Sagi." Konton warned him. "Those four boys have a special talent for breaking their limits when they need it the most. Frankly, it might've been better if you had simply killed him now."

Sagi's eyes widened. "My Lord...surely you don't wish for your humble servant and elite soldier to waste his time on such rabble…"

"I do, because that is how much I trust you, Sagi." Konton sternly reminded him. "You nine are among the mightiest Rakuen has to offer. And I expect you to prove it when necessary. And killing one of the only four threats to my plan would count as necessary."

Sagi gritted his teeth in frustration. "I'm...I'm so sorry, sir." He said, frustrated that his king had no praise for him in spite of the greatness of his Faux Men.

Konton, however, surprisingly did not do anything to punish his foolish subordinate. He simply clapped him on the shoulder. "You'll be back in the field soon enough thanks to those Faux Men you designed." He pointed out. "You'll prove your strength when that day comes. You will do that, won't you, Sagi?"

"Y-yes, of course, Your Majesty." Sagi said submissively, dismissing himself.

Sagi left the "Connector Room", a room designated for the use of Faux Men, and found himself strolling through Rakuen to clear his head.

"You're so frustrated you didn't even notice my presence." Sagi froze at that familiar voice. "You're walking around like you're pissed at the world. Good thing you ain't Gekido."

Sagi looked over his shoulder to see the smug face of Boryoku the Violence. Sagi glared at his comrade, furious that Boryoku had seen him in such a sorry state. "And what do you want?" Sagi demanded.

"Oh my," Boryoku smirked, "you're as violent as my namesake, Sagi."

Boryoku then gave Sagi the most serious expression he's ever seen from the 7th Circle. "You were hiding something from His Majesty, weren't you?" He demanded.

Sagi's eyes widened. He then glared at Boryoku. "You bastard, you were eavesdropping on our conversation?"

"Oh don't sound so shocked." Boryoku smirked. "You should know that I'm curious as a cat whenever battle is involved. Especially since I expect to enter the field as a Faux Man soon enough."

Sagi scowled. "And you think I was hiding something from our king because?"

"Because I know you, Sagi." Boryoku reminded him. "Every time you make some sort of breakthrough in your research, you can't resist telling everyone, gloating like the smug bastard you are. If anything, you should've been known as Sagi the Pride, but Fraud works better considering your history. But you only talked about how much of a failure those experiments on the Arlong Pirates were. But with you, even failure is considered a breakthrough."

"Just get to the damn point!" Sagi yelled.

"Touched a nerve, did I?" Boryoku chuckled. "Well now, it looks like you _were_ hiding something from the king. Mind sharing with the class?"

Realizing Boryoku, of all people, had him found out, Sagi could not help but laugh. "It appears I've underestimated you, Bo." He admitted. "And here I always thought you were nothing but the brainless muscle of the Circles."

"Perhaps if you spent less time cooped up in your lab, you'd know better." Boryoku countered.

"Alright, fine then, perhaps I was hiding something from the king." Sagi admitted. "And just what do you intend to do if I was? Are you going to tattle on me?"

Boryoku just laughed. "Now why would I waste my time being some tattletale schoolboy?" He demanded, pulling out his massive katana from its sheath. "No, if one of the Circles is keeping secrets from the king, then that means they are committing treason! And the punishment for treason is death! That becomes my concern as the executioner of Rakuen!"

"That also means," Boryoku continued, "I get to execute one of my own, one of the few people who can match me in power! Something I've only dreamed of!"

Sagi remained surprisingly calm in the face of Boryoku pointing that long katana right at his face. Everything Boryoku had said would indeed be the case. As the kingdom's executioner, Boryoku had the express duty of executing dissidents for the high crime of treason. And it was always turned into a game. The criminal would be thrown into the ring with him and the people would watch with glee as Bo tore the criminal apart. If anything, that itself was another impressive part of Konton's effectiveness as a ruler. He was so charismatic, he could make people slaves to their baser, animalistic instincts. Namely, the sight of blood, gore and violence.

Sagi heaved a sigh. "Honestly, Bo, you say that, and yet you've never even considered why I chose to hide that little secret." He pointed out.

Boryoku looked at Sagi in confusion. "You see, I had hoped that Arlong and his men would prove that the Grudge Curse could be useful in the hands of just about anyone with a tremendous amount of hatred in their hearts." Sagi explained. "Anyone like Lord Konton himself."

Boryoku immediately caught on. "You intended to make our king stronger! Strong enough to guarantee victory against Chitsujo!"

"If an action can increase chances of success by even 1%, then it is worth undertaking." Sagi told his comrade. "Unfortunately, Arlong proved one thing to me."

"That hatred allowed to run rampant is only an effective weapon when used on an attack dog let off his leash. But not so much for the king."

Sagi sighed. "And I simply cannot in good conscience allow His Majesty's hatred for his brother to consume him, to overwhelm him. No, pulling the plug on that particular experiment was for the best."

"You underestimate our king." Boryoku told Sagi.

"You could not be further from the truth." Sagi claimed. "It is because I am aware of how mighty our king is that I cannot conduct such experiments on him."

"If Lord Konton's hatred is converted into power, that will make him strong enough to kill Chitsujo, yes." Sagi acknowledged. "But what do you suppose will happen once Chitsujo is gone? He'll simply transfer his hatred to something else, amplifying his power more and more until it consumes him, turning him into a feral beast unfit to rule over anything."

"Lord Konton," Sagi said with complete sincerity, "is the man who will rule the entire universe. And as his loyal subject, it is my duty to make sure he remains fit and able to achieve his destiny. The same goes for you, Bo."

Boryoku remained silent for a moment before laughing boisterously. He sheathed his katana. "Well now, what a shame." He said. "I can't execute you for treason after a heartfelt speech like that!"

"After all, I'd have to explain to the king that I cut you down in spite of your noble intentions. I would have to be executed after such an explanation."

"You could simply lie to him." Sagi suggested.

"Ha! Don't be ridiculous!" Boryoku yelled before pointing at himself. "I'm Boryoku the Violence! And as the one who desires to cause as much death and destruction as possible, I can't exactly be dishonest about any aspect of my life. No, with my dreams, I refuse to be anything but honest. Be it ally or enemy, I will be completely honest about who I am and what I want!"

Sagi just chuckled. "And here I thought you were just a beast. But you're surprisingly noble, Bo. And I suppose there is something to be said about someone who's as comfortable in their own skin as you are." He mused. "Perhaps you're right, I shouldn't coop myself so much in my lab."

Boryoku just laughed as Sagi turned away. "And just remember, Sagi." Boryoku told him. "I share the same desire as you! It is also my dream to see our king stand above all others! After all, he's the one who granted me the freedom to destroy anything I want!"

Back on Mystoria Island, Ichigo gazed impassively as Nami finished up the task she had delegated to herself. He then could not help but smile when he saw the result. Three makeshift graves for Arlong, Chew and Kuroobi.

"It seems kind of fitting, doesn't it." Ichigo mused. "A grave in an island covered in perpetual fog. No one will ever disturb them again. No one will ever hurt them again."

Nami smiled sadly. "I don't want to burden the 1st Fleet with carrying the corpses of enemies." She said. "And I certainly couldn't leave them like this either. This...was for the best…"

Nami trailed off, her voice beginning to quiver. Ichigo walked up to Nami in concern and saw that she was struggling not to cry. "It's strange," she said, "I still can't forgive them for what they did to me...to Cocoyashi Village...to Bell-mere. And...I don't know if I ever will."

"And yet, when I look at these graves...I feel like I want to cry right now. Cry for the people who tried to ruin my life for their own ambitions." Nami laughed bitterly. "Weird girl, huh?"

"Why do you think you want to cry for them?" Ichigo asked curiously.

"Because I now know just how bad things are in this world." Nami revealed. "Being on Fishman Island...that really set a lot of things in perspective for me. It solidified the reality that was right in front of me ever since I started sailing. Whether we're pirates or marines, humans or Fishmen, or whatever, we all have the capacity to be good and evil. And something happened to these three that was so unforgivable, so horrible, that they felt like the only response was to be as evil and ruthless as possible."

Nami lowered her head. "How could I not cry for them?" She asked. "A life like that...I couldn't imagine living a life like that."

"But even so...after everything they've done, it still feels so strange to me." Nami admitted.

"Well, if you're going to stop feeling anything, I'd stop feeling strange if I were you." Ichigo bluntly told her.

"Huh?"

Ichigo gave Nami a gentle smile. "Nami, the fact that you're able to feel this way for friend and foe alike doesn't make you strange, it makes you...well, kinda awesome."

"I've already fought in two wars." Ichigo admitted. "And when you've done that, you kinda find yourself wondering what sets the two sides apart."

"And I think now...what sets us apart is not just how we treat our friends...but also how we treat our enemies." Ichigo revealed. "I...can't tell you how many enemies I've pitied after striking down for that reason. Sosuke Aizen was one of the loneliest souls I've ever fought. Kugo Ginjo was one of the most tragic. Looking back now, even a few members of the Wandenreich...I just couldn't help but feel like all they had left in their hearts was wrath, thanks to living under the rule of a warmonger like Yhwach. And that itself made me pity them."

"The point is Nami, never feel like you have to shut your heart out to anyone, even your enemies." Ichigo told her. "Because that heart is what sets the Alliance apart from the Coalition. The heart is what decides who the good guys and the bad guys are in the end."

Nami was briefly stunned into silence by how profound and heartfelt Ichigo had sounded. But then she smiled. The sadness in her eyes were gone. The only things left were joy and gratitude. "You were a great bodyguard, Ichigo." Nami told him. "Thank you."

Elsewhere, at Marine Headquarters, Fleet Admiral Sakazuki glanced up from his papers in surprise. "Could you please repeat that." He said.

The nervous petty officer stammered, not wanting Sakazuki to boil him with lava. "It's...just as I said sir. He matched the description and…"

"Bring him in," Sakazuki told him, "I want to see him myself."

The petty officer nodded. "B-bring in the prisoner!" He shouted.

The doors to Sakazuki's office opened and in walked a smug, happy bounty hunter, two guards keeping a hand on the prisoner's chains, and a single youth, cuffed and giving Sakazuki an impassive gaze.

Sakazuki leaned into his chair, raising an eyebrow at the young man's presence. "I never expected to see someone like you this soon," he admitted.

"Naruto Uzumaki."

 **A.N: DUN DUN DUN!**


	18. Chapter 18: The Battle of Fishman Island

**Edit: A reviewer brought it to my attention that the scene between Sanji and Luffy references the Whole Cake Island Arc when I skipped it. First, thanks to the reviewer who did so. Second, I fixed the problem. That's totally unlike me though, I rarely forget my own continuity. Anyway, everything should be fixed now.**

 **Chapter 18: The Battle of Fishman Island**

Everyone present in Fleet Admiral Sakazuki's office gaped in disbelief at the sight of the prisoner who was surprisingly calm for the situation he was in. Even the two guards who had brought him in, in chains, seemed confused by his presence. Naruto Uzumaki noticed the stares and fidgeted uncomfortably. "What's up?" He asked. "Do I have something on my face?"

Sakazuki glared at Naruto. "Do you not realize the situation you're in, brat?"

Naruto looked at Sakazuki. "Hey," he said, "I'm well aware of my situation. I know what chains and handcuffs are."

Sakazuki leaned forward. "How in the world did a bounty hunter catch someone like you?" He demanded.

"I was sailing alone." Naruto explained. "Off on a secret mission for the Allied Forces."

"Perhaps you could share with me your secret mission." Sakazuki suggested.

Naruto gave Sakazuki a teasing smile. "Oh, but Admiral," he said, "if I told you what my secret mission was, it wouldn't be a secret anymore."

"So you know me." Sakazuki folded his arms. "I suppose that makes things simpler."

"Of course I know you." Naruto frowned. "And I have to admit, getting to meet the man behind the Navy in this world does make for a nice little consolation prize in getting captured."

"You're not afraid of me." Sakazuki noted. "I suppose that is also to be expected, considering your reputation."

Naruto chuckled. "Yep, 'Demon Fox' Naruto, 1.5 billion beri bounty." He then frowned. "Did ya have to call me 'Demon Fox' though? I'll have you know that Kurama and I are completely separate entities. We were never one in the same."

"Bounties are meant to strike terror in the hearts of people, so that they know criminals like you are dangerous." Sakazuki countered. "As for the fact that you are separate entities, I don't care. I wouldn't even care if you two were one in the same."

Sakazuki gave Naruto a heated glare, hot as the lava his body was made of. "You're nothing but a damn criminal, just like Straw Hat and all those other rebels who defy the World Government's rule."

Naruto scowled. "You see us as criminals, plenty of people see us as heroes." Naruto pointed out before sighing. "And just like those people see us as heroes, the people who believe in you agree that we're criminals."

"It's a vicious cycle, Sakazuki." Naruto told him. "One that you're not helping end at all."

"The day I take advice from a brat like you…" Sakazuki snarled.

"You marines claim to be men of the law, men of justice," Naruto interrupted, "but I've heard way too many stories of just what the hell you guys have done and called it justice. Destroying entire islands, committing genocide, permitting slavery to exist even though it's supposed to be illegal. How in the world is any of that justice, Sakazuki?"

Sakazuki scowled. He then sighed. "I'll give you that last one." He admitted. "To be frank, Naruto Uzumaki, even I am growing tired of the Celestial Dragons' influence over the Navy."

Sakazuki rose from his seat and gazed out of his office, taking in the 'lovely' sight of marines training to become bringers of justice. "The Navy are defenders of Absolute Justice first and foremost. And acting as bloody attack dogs for those bloated, selfish, idiotic nobles only hamstrings our efforts in eradicating evil." Sakazuki explained.

"However, you claim our actions to be evil...to be unjust." Sakazuki glared at Naruto once more. "Such a selfish misunderstanding."

"How is it a misunderstanding?" Naruto demanded. "How many times have your navy and your government wiped out kingdoms and islands and called it justice?"

"The scholars of Ohara knew that deciphering the ancient messages of the Poneglyphs was against the law, and they proceeded to do so anyway." Sakazuki pointed out. "And the secrets of the Poneglyphs could lead to the end of the world as we know it. Their genocide was necessary to preserve peace."

"How do you know those secrets could end the world?" Naruto asked suspiciously. "Aren't they secrets?"

Sakazuki actually frowned at this. He quickly regained his composure and shook his head. "Centuries ago, our predecessors decided that knowledge was dangerous and it was wiped from history." He explained. "I do not have to justify the actions of my predecessors, brat. What they did was for peace and justice centuries later."

"Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?"

Sakazuki got right in Naruto's face. Naruto could feel the heat from Sakazuki's magma body. "Do not try and sway me you brat!" Sakazuki snarled. "An otherworlder like you has no right to lecture me about _my_ world's justice."

"Really? Because based on what I _have_ seen and heard about, I think you could use my input." Naruto smirked.

Sakazuki almost melted Naruto for that comment, but managed to restrain himself. "Justice cannot yield to evil, no matter what." He claimed. "For the sake of preserving peace, you must be willing to go to any lengths necessary. That is what it means to fight for Absolute Justice."

"Everything the Navy does to preserve peace is just because _that_ is our ultimate goal. Eradicating pirates, eradicating enemies of the government, eradicating evil, all threats must be eradicated. If you want to be angry at anyone for the state of this world, Naruto Uzumaki, blame the selfish, stupid fools who decide to disrupt that peace for their own benefit. Blame naive brats like you and Straw Hat, and his detestable father, Dragon."

Naruto scowled up at Sakazuki. "You are hopeless." He said simply.

"I could the same to you." Sakazuki fired back.

"There's no point in peace if you have to sacrifice your humanity to achieve it. You can kill as many people as you want for justice, Sakazuki, but you'll never have anything to show for it other than a few brief moments of satisfaction in obtaining justice and peace. Kill a thousand, and another thousand hate you for such extremes. Kill that thousand and another will! All your doing is pushing away those you claim to protect and scaring the ones who remain into fearful servitude."

"This isn't a world of peace and justice!" Naruto exclaimed. "It's a damn prison!"

Sakazuki narrowed his eyes. "Then why has morale for the navy risen since I took over as Fleet Admiral?" He inquired. "Why have people flocked to my beliefs rather than run away like you claim? Answer that, Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto froze at this. Sakazuki nodded. "This is where my gracious lecture ends." He said. "You will now be taken to Rakuen, where your execution will be broadcast across the universe. The Alliance will know what it means to oppose us."

Sakazuki scowled. "That'll teach Konton to rely so much on Blackbeard." He growled. "The only one who needs to rule this world in this new universe he's creating is the Navy. Not some damn pirate who was just blessed with the favor of some god."

Naruto regained his composure and glared at Sakazuki. "You will die in the name of justice." Sakazuki told the young man. "Be grateful."

Naruto smirked defiantly. "Stupid Sakazuki," he said, "even if you kill me, you'll never win. Even if I die, the other three will take my place. No way in hell is Luffy going to let you win after everything you did to him."

Sakazuki marched up to Naruto. "Straw Hat will never best me."

"Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon he will. Your days are numbered, Sakazuki." Naruto promised. "There's no way in hell your justice can beat _that_ pirate. I mean, you couldn't even kill him when you had the best chance to do it! How do you expect to do it now?"

Sakazuki snapped at this. It was bad enough being told he would lose to Straw Hat in a fight. But being reminded of when he let that damn brat escape?

Roaring with rage, Sakazuki punched Naruto across the room. Sakazuki's eyes widened as Naruto hit the wall. _Damn it, did I really let a damn criminal get the best of me mentally?_

Then, much to Sakazuki's shock, Naruto suddenly vanished in a puff of smoke. Suddenly, a navy grunt came running into Sakazuki's office. "Admiral!" He yelled. "We heard yelling and the sounds of a struggle. Is everything...al...right?"

The grunt looked around to see that Naruto was nowhere to be seen. He looked at Sakazuki and innocently inquired. "Where's the prisoner?"

Sakazuki snapped once more. "GET OUT!" He screamed, fully realizing just what had happened.

The grunt scrambled to leave Sakazuki's office. Sakazuki marched over to his Transponder Snail in sheer frustration and fury. He tricked him. That damn brat tricked him with a Shadow Clone. And he knew that the Shadow Clone was one of Naruto Uzumaki's signature jutsus. "Yes, Admiral?" Came the voice on the other hand.

"Execute the bounty hunter who brought Naruto Uzumaki in _right now_!" Sakazuki furiously demanded. "He's not getting a single beri!"

"...Sir, we have to properly compensate people who bring in active bounties." The voice reminded him. "You can't just kill him just because you don't want to pay him."

"It wasn't even the real Naruto!" Sakazuki screamed. "Now kill him for wasting my time! Kill him, or I swear I'm going to melt you, or the next person who enters my damn office!"

Needless to say, there was an eruption occurring inside of the Fleet Admiral's office, and it was not exactly what Sakazuki would define as the productive kind.

Meanwhile, the real Naruto Uzumaki briefly let out a triumphant smirk as the memories of a Shadow Clone suddenly returned to him. However, just as quickly, he found himself rubbing his cheek, feeling the phantom pain of that devastating blow from the Fleet Admiral. Immediately, Erza Scarlet and Jellal Fernandes were on Naruto's case.

"Are you alright?" Erza quickly inquired. "Do you need me to apply any medical treatment? I have the can-do spirit to treat you, you know."

Naruto's eyes widened in fear. "No!" He yelled before coughing and regaining his composure. "I mean, it's fine, I just got a particularly painful memory from my clone back."

Jellal gazed out at the sea. "That really was a stroke of pure genius, you know." He complimented. "You saved the entire Allied Forces from a massive headache."

Naruto smiled. "Thanks man," he said, "the last thing we needed was bounty hunters bugging the crap out of us on a daily basis. We needed to nip that in the bud ASAP."

And Naruto had the world's easiest solution to a constant rush of bounty hunters trying to bag a billion-and-a-half beri payday. Two words: Shadow Clones. Three quarters of which were transformed into the likeness of Monkey D. Luffy, Ichigo Kurosaki and Natsu Dragneel.

It was such a simple plan. Naruto created massive amounts of Shadow Clones, and then sent them away alone, pairs, trios and quartets. And from there, just sit back and wait for the memories of clones to return to him. The only downside to this plan was that he did not get to see the looks of utter disbelief on the faces of the bounty hunters when they failed to catch him.

What Naruto never expected, however, was for a bounty hunter to actually succeed in catching him and then bring him to Fleet Admiral Sakazuki. That being said, he had to admit, getting a chance to speak with the sociopathic admiral behind the Navy made this unexpected turn of events worthwhile. Although, he wished it had turned out a bit better.

Jellal then gazed at Naruto in concern. "I've never seen you respond like that after getting memories of your clones back." He noted. "Naruto, what happened?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Jellal, I met him. I saw him."

"Who?" Jellal asked curiously. "Who did you meet?"

"The Navy's Fleet Admiral, Sakazuki." Naruto shuddered. "Luffy warned me about how twisted that guy is, but I don't think anything could have prepared me for what happened."

"What do you mean?" Jellal asked curiously.

Naruto growled in anger. "That bastard," he said, "I've met a lot of awful people in my life, and many of them have at least had a decent excuse for doing all the things they did. Now that I've had some time to think about it, I even felt bad for Kaguya. Looking back, she came across like a mindless beast."

"Especially now that I've met Konton, and Sakazuki too."

Jellal frowned. "That bad, huh?"

Naruto nodded. "I've never met someone that remorseless with all the sins they've piled up." He admitted. "All these horrible things that the World Government and the Navy has done to this world, and they all claim it's for justice. For peace."

Erza had to nod at that statement. She gazed out at the ocean. "I have to admit, I've been getting that impression myself lately." She said. "We've had to refill our supplies at a few islands. Didn't you two notice something odd at the last island?"

"Huh, what do you mean?" Naruto asked curiously.

Erza's face fell. "They were struggling to get by. Jellal, you had to cut our supply refill short because we were that concerned about draining the entire island of supplies."

Jellal nodded. "I myself was curious about that, so I asked the island's leader." He frowned. "They were practically bankrupt from paying tribute to the government, and by extension, the World Nobles. It was no wonder they were so eager to help out the Alliance...even with what little they had."

Naruto clenched his fist in anger. "Like the Land of Waves from back then." He said. "How could anyone look at this world and say: 'this is fine?'"

Jellal and Erza both nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I know what you mean." Jellal folded his arms. "I don't like it any more than you do. Every moment I spend in this world really hammers home that I'm more blessed than I realize."

Erza nodded in agreement. Those two had grown up as slaves in the Tower of Heaven, and both of them thought they had a more blessed life than the average person in this world. "Frankly, it's kinda wrong to outright proclaim you're the good guys in a war. War's not like most conflicts where there's a light side and a dark side." Jellal pointed out.

Jellal frowned. "But every moment I spend in this world, and see the results of what this world's government's actions...I can definitely say with absolute confidence that they are darkness incarnate. Pure evil."

Naruto sighed. "I used to think there was no such thing as pure evil." He admitted. "But I have to admit...it's becoming harder to think that every day."

Erza got back on the subject of Sakazuki. "So," she said, "your conversation with Sakazuki was...enlightening for all the wrong reasons?"

"Yeah," Naruto nodded, "everything I threw in his face, all the wrongdoings of the Navy and the World Government, he called it all necessary, for the sake of justice. As though the people who died along the way should be grateful for something like that."

"He...said morale has actually _increased_ since he took over. He said that people are believing in Absolute Justice now more than ever." Naruto shook his head. "Jellal, I just don't get it. How could anyone be okay with such a brutal method like that?"

Jellal sighed. "Would you like to know my theory?" He inquired. "I've had it since we came to this world, and have gotten a taste of the affect the government has had on the people."

Jellal folded his arms. "It's a lesser of two evils kind of deal." Jellal explained. "Maybe it's true that what Sakazuki and his men do are evil as far as we're concerned. However, you need to remember the alternative, Naruto."

"Alternative?"

"The alternative is letting monsters like Blackbeard run freely." Jellal reminded him. "From what I heard, he caused a huge stir two years ago at their former base, Marineford. If I had to guess, I'd say that incident traumatized the world. And now, as a result, people are flocking to the creed of 'Absolute Justice' because they're that scared of Blackbeard."

"Well let me counter your alternative with one of my own." Naruto held his index finger up. "Dragon and the Revolutionaries. Wouldn't people have hope for a better world if people like that exist?"

Jellal could not help but smile. "You've come a long way from that brief period of mistrust you had for Dragon."

"I stand by what I told him." Naruto said firmly. "If he turns out to be just as corrupt as what they've currently got, I'm coming after him."

Jellal chuckled before turning serious. "Anyway, to counter your alternative, you need to remember that throughout history, regardless of worlds, revolutions typically have a negative stigma surrounding them. No matter how well-meaning they are, a revolution is automatically distrusted because of how they destabilize the region."

"Consider this, Naruto, you went through a brief period of instability when Danzo Shimura tried to revolutionize the village, yes?"

"I'm surprised you know that much about our history." Naruto commented.

"Naruto, as a commander, it is my responsibility to educate myself about my comrades and their homes." Jellal pointed out.

"Well, okay, yeah, you're right." Naruto nodded. "What Danzo did was a political coup. I'm glad it wasn't violent, but what he did put everyone on edge, because the entire Leaf knows how much of an extremist that guy was."

Jellal nodded. "Okay, now let me ask you this." He said. "If you knew nothing of Danzo. In fact, let's say no one in the Leaf knew of Danzo and his methods. Do you think your village still would've been on guard when the news of Danzo's 'political coup' occurred?"

Naruto thought it over. He then nodded. "Yeah," he said, "I mean, the village was in a state of rebuilding, after the attack from the Akatsuki. The last thing we needed was a new Hokage coming in and shaking things up the way Danzo planned to. Whatever his intentions were though, the simple act would've thrown the Leaf into an uproar."

Jellal nodded. "That's the thing right there," he said, "Naruto, revolutions always occur in unstable regions. Times of turmoil, times of rebuilding, times of chaos, when a region is in one of those times, that is when a revolution occurs. From the perspective of an outsider, revolutionaries look like predators, preying on an unstable world for their own benefits."

"But this revolution is happening all over the world. There are technically no outsiders." Erza pointed out.

"Mmm, but how do you think the people inside feel?" Jellal inquired. "No matter how well meaning a revolution may seem to its supporters and the revolutionaries themselves, to the average person, they're just another factor of chaos in their home."

"So then it's just like Blackbeard?" Naruto looked at Jellal in disbelief.

"Yes and no," Jellal replied, "yes, in the sense that people are scared of revolutions the way they are of criminals like Blackbeard. But no, because Blackbeard showed his evil two years ago. The Revolutionary Army simply has the misfortune of carrying a negative stigma with them, like any other revolution."

"So in other words, it's our job to change the people's perception?" Erza asked curiously.

Jellal sighed. "I wish it were that easy." He admitted. "But you're talking about changing the entire world's perception of something that already has negative connotations. Saving this world is step one, but in this case, we need to make sure that the new regime sticks. That is step two."

Naruto still looked concerned about his meeting with Sakazuki. Jellal smiled and gave his subordinate and friend a pat on the shoulder. "We're going to fix this." He promised. "If we can save one world, we can save all of them."

Naruto smiled, reassured by Jellal's statement. "You're right," he said, "we proved we can do it back in Fiore. No way in hell are we going to lose here."

"Commander!" The trio's attention was turned to a messenger running up. He quickly saluted Jellal.

"At ease," Jellal nodded, "what is it?"

"We just received word that the barrier has completely died down, all fleets are free to continue sailing forward." The messenger announced.

Jellal smiled. "The 1st through 3rd Fleets were successful then." He said with a satisfied tone of voice.

"Hell yeah they did, no way were my bros going to let us down." Naruto nodded, sounding surprisingly smug. "They probably got even stronger while they were kicking ass and taking names too."

Jellal chuckled. "Nice to see your attitude has done a complete 180." He mused. "Then again, victory is always a nice morale booster."

"Any notable casualties?" Jellal asked the messenger.

"No sir, in fact, other than some injuries, no KIAs were reported." The messenger smiled happily. "Everyone's okay."

Naruto smiled brightly upon hearing this. "Everyone's okay? That's awesome!"

Erza smirked in a somewhat haughty manner. "Well, is it really a surprise. We've gotten much stronger since our campaign in Fiore." She said. "I bet those Coalition scumbags thought they were getting the same people from last time."

Naruto laughed. "Amen to that, I bet they were surprised when they saw how tough the others got. The four of us spent practically half our break just sparring with each other."

Naruto flexed arrogantly. "Check out these, no way are a bunch of Coalition guys going to beat us."

Erza immediately karate chopped Naruto across the head. "What was that for?" Naruto screamed in disbelief.

"Arrogance is unbecoming of someone like you." Erza told him.

"I was being sarcastic!" Naruto yelled, already feeling the lump forming. That was like taking a blow from Sakura, but with the added armor, it actually felt much, much worse.

Erza looked at Naruto. "No you weren't," she immediately denied, "that sounded 100% serious. Not sarcastic at all."

"Then I guess it was really good sarcasm if you thought I was serious!" Naruto shot back.

 _I could honestly tell it was sarcasm._ Jellal sweat-dropped. _Erza's just...well, bad at understanding sarcasm. She never was very good at that kind of stuff. I better do my part to salvage this situation before they start an argument._

"Umm, Erza," Jellal raised his hand, "I hate to tell you...but that was sarcasm. You...literally just hit Naruto for no reason."

Erza's eyes widened. "I am so sorry!" She immediately said to Naruto.

"It's okay." Naruto whimpered. That bump was not going to go away for awhile.

"No, it is not." Erza frantically shook her head before offering a cheek to Naruto. "Here, strike me, now! As hard as you can, Naruto! Don't hold back!"

"Umm...what?" Naruto forgot his pain and gazed at Erza in disbelief.

"I cannot let this go until I have paid proper restitution." Erza said in a dramatic but completely serious tone. "You may strike me as hard as you want. As the victim of my foolishness, it is up to you to decide how hard it must be before I pay my dues."

Naruto sighed and flicked Erza across the face. Erza looked at Naruto in disbelief now. "Are you mocking me?" She demanded.

"Oh come on!" Naruto yelled. "You said I got to decide how I will punish you and how badly! Don't complain about how I chose to do it after saying it was my choice in the first place! The punished aren't supposed to complain about the punishment, Erza!"

Jellal face-palmed at Naruto and Erza's bickering. "Please, stop." He groaned. "Seriously, you two argue like siblings."

 _What I wouldn't give for a distraction from this…_

As if answering Jellal's silent prayer, his portable transponder snail suddenly began ringing in his pocket. Jellal gazed up at the sky. _Thank you, Pirate World God._

"I need you two to be quiet, right now." Jellal ordered in the most commanding voice he could muster. "Someone's calling me."

Naruto and Erza both fell silent as Jellal pulled out his transponder snail and answered it. "Yes, hello?" Jellal inquired curiously. "This is Commander Fernandes."

" _Jellal, it's Shinji."_ Came Shinji Hirako's voice on the other end of the Transponder Snail. _"I just got word from my navigator. We'll be upon the target a few hours from now."_

" _We're approaching Fishman Island."_

Jellal's expression immediately turned serious. "Are all the ships prepped for the journey down?" He asked curiously. "I'm not an expert on this 'coating' thing that Rayleigh was telling us about."

" _Yep, I had everyone triple check just to make sure."_ Shinji replied. _"If it makes you feel any better, none of this 'coating' stuff makes sense to me either. I just kinda chose to trust the experts on this matter."_

"I'll make the announcement over the mass transponder snail then." Jellal nodded before adding. "Shinji, best of luck, my friend."

" _Hey, come on, we don't need luck."_ Jellal could practically hear Shinji's confident smile. _"We've gotten way stronger since Fiore. We're going to kick some serious ass, Jellal. In the immortal worlds of Naruto, believe it."_

That made Jellal laugh as Shinji hung up, dismissing himself from the conversation. Jellal turned his attention to Erza and Naruto. "Okay, you two, time to break it up." Jellal told them. "Shinji just gave me the word that we're about to dive down towards Fishman Island."

Both of the people Jellal was addressing immediately turned serious upon hearing this. "Fishman Island," Erza muttered, "hey, we don't necessarily have to pass through there to return to the Paradise half of the Grand Line, right?"

Jellal nodded. "This is more of a personal favor to one of our allies." He admitted. "King Neptune, king of Fishman Island, would like us to take his home back from the Coalition."

"Well that settles it, an ally needs our help, that's all there is to it." Naruto pounded his fists together in anticipation. "Let's go save Fishman Island."

"I feel the same way," Jellal nodded, "King Neptune was admittedly ashamed of that request. In fact, he outright called himself selfish for making such a request. However, there is a strategic value to taking back Fishman Island."

"As long as that island is under Coalition control, they can easily launch attacks from beneath the surface. God knows what they're trying to build down below." Jellal explained. "Furthermore, we have another important thing to consider, the politics of saving Fishman Island. We could actually seriously help this world in the long-run by saving Fishman Island."

"The politics?" Naruto frowned. "What do you mean the politics?"

"Exactly what it sounds like, Naruto. In case either of you aren't aware, I'll tell you." Jellal began. "The relationship between man and Fishman has always been...tense to say the least. It only recently has started to improve thanks to the efforts of Luffy and his crew."

"If we do our part and save Fishman Island, we could show that the new regime we intend to install is committed to creating a better world for everyone, not just humans." Jellal explained. "We could be the catalyst for creating a better world of cooperation between man and Fishman. For the sake of the future, we need to take Fishman Island."

Erza nodded. "Failure is not an option." She said, in full agreement.

"I still don't know much about politics." Naruto admitted. "However, if it means helping bring the people of this world closer together, I'll give it my all too. I mean, I was going to give it my all either way, but…"

"Yeah, don't worry, Naruto." Jellal cut him off. "I know what you mean."

Jellal then dismissed himself from the others and entered his personal quarters. On his desk was a single transponder snail connected to the entirety of the 5th Fleet. He quickly activated it and began speaking into it. "This is Commander Fernandes." Jellal began. "I have a very urgent announcement."

"A few hours from now, we will have reached our target. On the way, all our ships will be coated for a long descent underwater. Then we will descend underwater towards our target: Fishman Island." Jellal informed. "I'm going to level with you all. We don't know what the journey down is going to be like. We don't know what kind of danger awaits us."

"And we cannot respond to that danger either, other than to maneuver out of the way and keep pressing forward until we reach Fishman Island." Jellal continued. "I know we don't have the most favorable of conditions at the moment, but we cannot allow something like that to impede us, not when we have a mission to complete."

"That is all I'm going to say," Jellal admitted, "other than that, it's business as usual. Stick together, watch each other's backs, and fight your hardest. Do that, and we will return from the battle victors like we always do. Good luck."

Meanwhile, back at Dressrosa, a messenger knelt before Chitsujo, Dragon, and strangely enough, a merman who was comfortably moving about on land. "News from the 5th Fleet," the messenger said, "with the barrier down they are on their way to Fishman Island."

Chitsujo nodded. "As expected," he said, "after the barrier fell, it was only a matter of time before the 5th Fleet made their move."

Chitsujo gave the merman a reassuring smile. "Your home will be liberated soon enough, Neptune." He promised.

King Neptune, king of all Fishmen, nodded curtly. "Thank you once more for charting one of your fleets through my homeland, Lord Chitsujo." Neptune bowed gratefully. "I know it's a bit out of the way, but…"

"Nonsense, helping a friend is reason enough to do this, but I can assure you, we also have plenty of strategic reasons to take back your home as well." Chitsujo assured him.

Neptune nodded once more, letting a faint smile curl. "It's a shame, I really do wish Otohime was around to see good men such as yourself. It would truly warm her heart to know that there are others out there committed to creating a peaceful world for everyone."

"That is the endgame." Chitsujo acknowledged before heaving a sigh. "Though I'll admit, directly influencing the universe was never a plan, due to my people's...dark history in wanting too much power and influence."

"It can't be helped." Dragon responded. "Not like it was your fault that your brother got too greedy for his own damn good."

 _Maybe it is._ Chitsujo sadly thought before giving a smile to Dragon. "Thank you, Dragon. Now, if you gentlemen will excuse me, I'm going to speak with the Intelligence Division commanders and hear their strategy for Fishman Island."

Neptune nodded. "I will speak with my children and inform them that our home will return to us soon." He said with absolute confidence that the Alliance would obtain victory."

Neptune and Chitsujo both left Dragon to his own devices. Dragon gave an uncharacteristic frown of comical annoyance. "I'll just...be here then." He muttered.

As preparations for the Battle of Fishman Island began, Natsu Dragneel was examining his own body back at the Third Fleet. An odd ritual to go through, all things considered. Natsu was so much of a battle otaku sometimes, plenty of people thought he had no interest in anyone's body unless it had a lot of muscle and power.

That of course, was not true. Natsu was very much interested in the female form. He was no perv like Gildarts and Makarov were, but he definitely appreciated a nice, curvy body when he saw one. You kinda have to when you are growing up in the Fairy Tail Guild.

But Natsu was not examining his body because of some weird form of narcissism. He was examining his body because he was extremely curious as to why he had suddenly come back to life on Risky Red Island. Natsu was no fool when it came to life and death. He knew that that thing, Alpha, had killed him back then. And yet here he was, alive and well, and feeling even stronger than ever. It had to have been something with his body.

How was he able to examine his body on a ship and not get motion sick? Well, thankfully the boat was motionless at the moment, and he was laser-focused on solving the problem. To Natsu's credit, he was fighting through his queasy stomach and headaches through sheer willpower and a tremendous focus on solving this little conundrum. Besides, he knew he had to at least be serviceable on ships. He was confident now that he could at least fight through the sickness and fight at maybe half his strength if the enemy attacked his ship.

Anyway, Natsu knew he was a unique specimen, now that he knew he was an Etherious and not a human being. But still, he just could not help but feel like there was another reason behind his resurrection to life. Something he had not shared with anyone else.

"Maybe Jugo's cells mixed into my body have made me regenerate?" Natsu wondered before grinning. "That would be so cool! I'd have a healing factor like Naruto and Ichigo's!"

Natsu gazed at his body. "Okay, so how would I test it?" He wondered. "Should I like...hurt myself or something?"

At that moment, the door opened. Natsu froze. "Natsu?" Came Rukia Kuchiki's voice. "You've been in there for a long time. Is there something wrong?"

Natsu turned around as Rukia fully entered his room. This gave Rukia a full view of just what Natsu was doing, or rather, how he looked while doing it. The thing is, to examine his body, Natsu needed to be able to properly see everything.

Therefore, to Natsu, the best way to examine himself is to strip naked.

Please keep in mind, Natsu had turned around right when Rukia entered. The snowy princess of the Kuchiki Clan froze in shock at the sight.

Natsu, unable to see what was wrong with the situation, sealed his fate with a very simple question: "Rukia, could you help me out?" He asked. "I've been trying to figure out some things with my body and I could use a hand."

Now, normally, this is actually a very innocent question. If a developing child asked their parent this, it's because they are trying to understand why their body is changing and why the opposite sex is starting to become more interesting.

However, Natsu asked this question while completely naked. Big mistake.

Rukia's eyes and curiosity betrayed her as they darted below Natsu's waist. The girl turned bright red before letting out a scream. Natsu was startled. "What?!" He yelled.

"P-p-p-p-put some clothes on, idiot!" Rukia screamed.

"Huh? But I can't solve this mystery if I do." Natsu responded.

"Is everyone okay?" Kakashi Hatake suddenly appeared in a swirl of smoke. "I heard shouting and…"

Kakashi slowly trailed off, seeing a beet red Rukia and a naked Natsu Dragneel. Kakashi gazed at Natsu, keeping his eye on his face. Then he looked at Rukia. Kakashi closed his uncovered eye and nodded before turning around. "Close the door, don't be too loud, and remember to use some sort of protection." He said, completely missing the point and vanishing in a puff of smoke once more.

"Commander, it's not like that!" Rukia shrieked indignantly.

"...Huh, I was kinda hoping to get Kakashi's help too." Natsu admitted. "He's good with this kind of stuff."

Rukia completely misconstrued that into the fact that Natsu was the...adventurous type, to say the least. Her embarrassed red face then transformed into a red face of rage. "PERVERTED IDIOT!" Rukia screamed, transforming her Zanpakuto almost immediately.

"WHAT?" Natsu yelled, surprised by Rukia's sudden burst of rage.

What did he do wrong? Fairy Tail members see each other naked all the time…

Meanwhile, Jushiro Ukitake blinked in surprise when a large chunk of ice suddenly protruded from one of the ships. "Oh dear," he muttered, "looks like something happened to upset poor Rukia."

Meanwhile, with the 1st Fleet, Ichigo Kurosaki gave a satisfied smile as his two Zangetsu blades blackened at will. Shunsui Kyoraku and Gildarts Clive immediately applauded at the sight. "That's wonderful, Ichgio!" Shunsui cheered with his usual smile. "To think you'd manage to learn Haki like that."

Ichigo nodded. "The feeling is actually quite strange." He admitted. "Weaponized willpower...I don't really know how to explain it, but I feel different."

"When I learned the truth and unlocked my full strength, I felt like my mind and heart were clearer than ever before." Ichigo explained. "But now…"

"Now you feel strange, because you've just experienced a proverbial growth spurt." Gildarts pointed out.

"You didn't think you could get any stronger, you didn't think that there was anything more for you to achieve." Gildarts continued before smirking. "Didn't take you to be the cocky type, Ichigo."

Ichigo glared at Gildarts, who raised his hand in defense. "I'm just kidding, buddy." He promised. "But, I have to admit, I was in a similar situation for awhile."

Gildarts sighed. "I took the 100-Year Quest because I thought I had already reached my peak in strength. It was something of a midlife crisis at that point. I didn't want to admit it back then, but deep down, I was scared that nothing else was going to satisfy me again."

Gildarts chuckled. "Weirdly enough, I'm grateful that I failed that quest." He admitted. "People ask me all the time, 'Gildarts, why were you laughing when you told Master Makarov that you failed the quest?'"

"The truth is, it was because it opened up the possibility that maybe I hadn't peaked yet. Maybe I could still grow." Gildarts revealed.

"And did you?" Ichigo asked curiously.

Gildarts smiled. "Hell yeah," he said, "I started growing as a wizard again when I learned that I had a daughter. Knowing there was _something_ left over from the fractured bond between me and my ex-wife, the only woman I ever loved, it cleared up the fog in my mind and heart. I became a better wizard and a better man after learning all of that."

"Because you had something to protect." Ichigo realized.

"...Yeah." Gildarts said, his smile widening.

Gildarts clapped Ichigo on the shoulder. "You're young, Ichigo." Gildarts reminded him. "And you were blessed with tremendous power and talent in spite of that youth."

"But if even an old man like me was able to find room to grow, even after he felt like he had peaked, a much younger man like you has no excuse not to keep growing."

Ichigo contemplated Gildarts' words before suddenly remembering Chitsujo's teachings from back then. How limits were just a state of mind and that he had to keep surpassing them to become the man he wanted to be.

Ichigo could not help but laugh. "You know, Chitsujo said practically the same thing to me before we started sailing." He admitted. "I bought into it, yeah, but I guess I really needed to experience it first."

Ichigo clapped Gildarts on the shoulder. "Thanks, Gildarts." He said with a smile. "I...think I get why Natsu looks up to you so much."

Gildarts pouted. "You mean you didn't get it before?" He asked, sounding hurt.

Ichigo frowned. "Well, when I first met you, I honestly thought you could pass as Shunsui's twin." He pointed out. "Do you think I look up to Shunsui?"

"I'm standing right here." Shunsui also looked hurt.

Ichigo then smiled again. "But you're pretty much Fairy Tail's resident uncle." He noted. "And if the advice you give its members is half as good as the advice you just gave me, then they really are lucky to have you."

"Now, if you'll both excuse me," Ichigo continued, "I'm going to rest up. I haven't really had a chance to relax since the fight on Mystoria happened. I seriously need a break."

Ichigo walked away. Shunsui pouted. "The least he could have done was give me a compliment before walking away like that." He muttered.

Gildarts had to laugh at that statement. He patted Shunsui on the shoulder in sympathy. "Teenagers, am I right?" He teased, making Shunsui grumble.

Back with the 2nd Fleet, Monkey D. Luffy was going through his usual fifty-course meal lunch. He was saving room for his hundred-course meal dinner later. "This really is some good cooking." Luffy commented. "I missed Sanji's cooking so freaking much!"

Sanji emerged from the ship's kitchen, holding another tray of meals. He gave Luffy a small smile as he placed the meals down in front of the Straw Hat Captain. "YES!" Luffy yelled. "Awesome! You are the best cook ever, Sanji!"

"And don't you forget it." Sanji responded. However, inwardly, he knew he was being more indulgent to Luffy's gluttonous nature than he usually was.

However, he still felt he owed that much to his captain. The incident between the Alliance and the Big Mom Pirates had really put things in perspective for the wayward Vinsmoke son. Or rather, Chitsujo's words afterwards.

 _"They said all that, huh?"_ Sanji had inquired over the transponder snail for confirmation.

 _"Yes, you really should count your blessings, Sanji."_ Chitsujo had responded.

 _"What do you mean? Other than my big sister, my family is awful."_

 _"I won't argue with that, I'm saying your crew is a wonderful family instead and you should be happy about that. What do you think would've happened if your life had proceeded as normal and did go with the Vinsmokes to Whole Cake? Or, God forbid if I agreed to their demands?"_

 _"...They would've come after me."_ Sanji immediately realized.

 _"Exactly, they love you, Sanji, more than anything. Luffy would've fought Big Mom for your sake, even if it was a losing battle. They love you, your big sister loves you, your mother loves you. Never forget the people who love you, even if you lose yourself and your own sense of perspective."_

Perspective. Yeah, that was a good word to use. Because, now Sanji had a really great sense of it.

He had to accept the fact. He had an awesome captain and an awesome crew that loved him. And he loved them back. And while he would never say that to the men in his crew (those words were only reserved for the women in his crew), he did love every single one of them with every fiber of his being.

Luffy would have fought a freaking Emperor of the Sea for his sake had things proceeded the way they originally were. No way was he going to hesitate on that now. "Will that be all, Luffy?" He asked.

Luffy nodded with a big stupid, happy smile on his face. "I'm starting to get full." He admitted. "I wanna save my appetite for dinner. Seriously, Sanji, thanks, I was really missing your cooking after everything in Fiore."

"Of course you did, I'm the chef of the man who's going to be King of the Pirates." Sanji reminded him.

"Shi shi shi shi!" Luffy laughed. "Yep, and that chef is going to find the All Blue, right?"

Sanji smiled. "Yeah."

Sanji began to walk away from Luffy. _I'll reiterate my promise to you, Luffy._ Sanji thought. _Because Chitsujo was right. Even if I put you all at risk by agreeing to go to that wedding, you still would've stuck by me until the end. You wouldn't have abandoned me._

 _And now it's my turn. If anything comes up, I'll be there to help you. If you stumble like you did when you lost Ace, I'll be there to help you, we all will. We're going to reach Raftel, reach the One Piece, together._

As Sanji continued walking away from Luffy, Samui nervously walked up to the feasting pirate. "Luffy?"

"Oh, hey, Samui." Luffy smiled brightly. "What's up?"

Samui fidgeted nervously. "Well, see, I'm the one who destroyed the device." She noted with a blush on her face.

"Oh, you did? Congrats, I guess that means you won Sabo's prize, right?" Luffy asked.

Samui nodded. "Luffy," she said, taking a deep breath, steeling herself for what she was about to do. "I would like you to take me on a date as my prize."

Sanji froze in place upon hearing that. He whipped his head back with such force the cook almost gave himself whiplash. "A date?" Luffy looked at Samui in confusion. "What's that? Is it a type of food?"

Samui looked at Luffy in disbelief while Sanji turned red with rage. Rage directed solely at his captain. Apparently, his renewed promise could not stop his sheer rage whenever a beautiful woman directed her attention towards Luffy. Sabo laughed as he appeared next to Samui. "Oho, it appears Samui has made her choice on what she wants her prize to be." He noted with a teasing gleam in his eye. "Luffy, as your commander, I'm ordering you to play the role of Samui's prize."

"Sabo, what's a date?" Luffy asked curiously.

"Well, it's not food." Sabo explained, noticing the disappointment on Luffy's face. "But, you do eat food while participating in it."

"Dates are all about having fun though." Sabo continued, noticing now that Luffy's face was brightening up at the word: fun.

"Then we'll have lots of fun, Samui!" Luffy exclaimed with a cheer.

 _Stupid freaking damn captain and his crappy damn magnetic personality!_ Sanji furiously thought. _What in the world did he do to earn the attention of a beauty like Samui? Was he some freaking casanova in a previous life?_

Sabo then noticed how angry Sanji looked and gave a mischievous chuckle. "Oh, Sanji!" He called out to the cook. "I've got a brilliant idea."

 _You gonna make Samui replace Luffy with me on this date?_ Sanji wondered hopefully.

"If dates are all about fun and food, why don't you cook for the two of them? With your talents, I'm sure you'll make this a date to remember!" Sabo suggested, knowing that this would be utter torture for Sanji.

"Like hell I'm going to do that!" Sanji yelled.

"That's a direct order from your leader." Sabo folded his arms with a frown.

"That's an abuse of power is what it is!" Sanji wanted to march right up to Sabo and kick him in that stupid, smiling face of his. He had Armament Haki, he could definitely pull it off. And if people knew that Sabo was deliberately provoking Sanji, he would not get in trouble for insubordination, right? Right?

"Sanji, come on, won't you cook for us on this date?" Sanji suddenly heard Luffy plead to him. "I want to show Samui a fun time on this date...even though I still have no idea what it really is."

Sanji growled. Okay, now he wanted to cave Luffy's head in for being a dumb ass and somehow getting a hot date. Seriously, how was this fair? Did _he_ do something bad in a previous life or something?

"Sanji," Samui was still blushing, nervous for her date, "please...I want this to go well. Please cook for us. You'd be real cool if you did it."

 _Damn it!_ Sanji thought in defeat. _No matter how much I hate to admit it, I can't refuse the plea of a beautiful lady!_

Sanji started to weep. "Of course, Samui," he said, audibly choking up and visibly looking crushed. "I would be...more than happy to serve as your personal chef for your date with my captain...my captain who totally deserves to have the attention of a beautiful lady."

 _And is not just a stupid oaf who wouldn't know a beautiful women if she walked up to him and slapped him in the face!_

"You're the best, Sanji!" Luffy cheered while Samui smiled and bowed gratefully.

 _...If the Four Emperors or the Navy fails to kill him, I might just do it on principal._ Sanji growled inwardly, knowing he did not mean that at all.

A few hours later, back with the 5th Fleet, Naruto Uzumaki found himself unable to contain his excitement. The Genin of the Hidden Leaf and Nine Tails Jinchuriki found himself bouncing about on his ship, gazing at the coating that covered it.

"So cool!" Naruto exclaimed. "So cool! So! Freaking! Cool!"

Naruto excitedly poked the coating, laughing in delight at how it jiggled and snapped back into place like rubber. "Usually when someone tells you that you live in a bubble that it's a bad thing! No way in hell is that the case here!"

"While I don't like telling people to stop having fun, I feel like I should tell you to get your game face on." Jellal noted, walking up to Naruto. "The fact that the coating has now been deployed means we're diving down. We'll be upon Fishman Island in a few hours."

Naruto laughed, rubbing his head sheepishly. "Err...right, sorry." He said. "I guess I did get a little overexcited, huh?"

Jellal chuckled before briefly gazing at Naruto with a hint of sympathy. _He never did have a normal life, let alone a normal childhood, if what Erza and Lord Chitsujo explained to me was a hundred percent true._

Jellal sighed inwardly. _I don't intend to judge any of my Leaf comrades for what happened to Naruto. I have no right to judge anyone for their sins, mine are just as heavy. But I will admit, sometimes I do feel like it's hard for me to work with the Leaf, knowing how they treated an innocent child. I kinda hate myself for that, I'm really no better a man. Perhaps this is just part of being human? Or perhaps I'm just overthinking it. Everyone has their own baggage...that doesn't mean they have the right to be uncomfortable with the baggage of others._

Jellal knew a lot of his sympathy towards Naruto came from the fact that he was an orphan himself. The difference, however, was that Jellal had the benefit of his childhood friends in his life. He was never lonely, even when he had been a slave. But Naruto…

"You ready for this, Commander?" Naruto cheerfully clapped his superior on the shoulder. "I've been ready for this since our break."

Jellal chuckled. "You've been training with Natsu and the others nonstop." He noted. "And then there was that spat you had with Luffy over who's Tailed Beast was superior."

"No matter what Chitsujo and Luffy say, it's totally Kurama." Naruto proudly stated.

" **And don't you forget it."** Kurama smugly added.

Jellal chuckled before giving a slight sweat-drop. _I really hope Lord Chitsujo doesn't want these boys to remain humble at all times. Then again, having a little pride in yourself isn't a bad thing, as long as you can keep things in perspective._

Jellal pulled out his portable transponder snail, reaching out to Shinji. "Shinji, it's Jellal, is the entire 5th Fleet coated and ready?" He asked.

" _Ready as they'll ever be, Jellal."_ Shinji responded. _"But can anyone really be ready to dive into hell?"_

"I'm not going to comment on that because I know that was a figure of speech." Jellal deadpanned. "But do keep in mind that 'hell' is the home of some of our allies, Shinji."

" _And I'm just as eager to take it back as you are, Jellal. But we are about to dive into hell. God knows what the hell is down there."_

"...See you on the other side, Shinji." Jellal told him before hanging up.

"We're doing this?" Naruto asked, now completely serious.

"Yeah," Jellal nodded, "let's do this."

The sea suddenly started to sway violently, catching Naruto off guard. "What's happening?" Naruto asked.

"Don't worry," Jellal brushed Naruto's concern off, "I was told this is just what happens before diving down with a coated ship."

Naruto calmed down when he noticed that their ship was suddenly beginning to slowly dip below the surface. "...That's actually really cool." He admitted, gazing in wonder at the fact that ships made of wood and metal were actually safely diving underwater.

Thus began a long dive downwards, straight towards Fishman Island, the site of their next battle. Hope and heroism was on its way…

On Fishman Island, a different story was being told. Instead of hope and heroism, a scene of darkness, despair and true villainy could be seen throughout a kingdom that had been on its way to reaching the light that had eluded it for so long.

A hellish scape painted the area. Coalition soldiers were dispassionately pulling the corpses of mermaids, mermen, and fishmen out of waters that had turned pure black. Their bodies looked terrible. Horrible boils, reddened skin, and open mouths letting out silent screams.

A single Rakuen scientist gazed at the waters with a disappointed expression on his face. "Still not a single improvement." He muttered with an irritated groan.

The scientist turned and marched towards Ryugu Palace, the once proud residence of the royal family. He quickly entered, not bothering to acknowledge the presence of the rank and file he passed by. He had more important things to do then to converse with those who were supposed to do the heavy lifting.

He then stopped at the throne room, taking note of his cloaked boss, whom was tinkering with...something. He could not see because his boss had his back turned to him. "Sir?" The scientist asked.

"I don't remember it becoming acceptable to approach me unannounced." The leader said in annoyance. "Can't you see I'm busy?"

"I'm sorry, sir, this is important." The scientist claimed. "Project Wine continues to fail the tests. It's still an effective killer, but no matter the alterations we make, it changes the color of the waters we pour it into. Anyone with decent working eyes could tell there's something wrong with it."

The leader sighed, clearly unbothered by this turn of events. "Does it still kill anyone who is submerged in it?" He asked curiously. "That was my biggest concern when we began altering it to not change the appearance of the liquids it mixes with.

"Yes, of course." The scientist nodded. "The latest batch of residents we forced into the pools proved as such. Thankfully, throughout our alterations, we retained the lethality of Project Wine."

"That's really all that matters in the end." The leader pointed out. "War, at its core, is about killing your enemy, for that is the most surefire way to achieve victory. How you kill your enemy doesn't matter the least bit."

"But, sir, how can we expect to effectively use Project Wine if an enemy soldier could immediately point out it's dangerous?"

"Then we change how we apply it you dolt." The leader derided. "Order some men to scoop up several hundred cauldrons worth of the liquid from the pools and bring them here. And tell them to be careful in handling it. I refuse to explain to His Majesty that a few brainless fools died because they weren't careful with dangerous materials. That makes _me_ look bad."

"...Understood."

"We will show the usefulness of Project Wine." The leader vowed. "If and when the Alliance arrives, this will be its trial run. If we can prove its usability, the king will praise my genius and demand it be mass-produced to end this war sooner."

"It truly is amazing that you are able to come up with all of these weapons, sir." The scientist admitted. "If I may be so bold as to ask, what is your secret?"

The leader chuckled. "Time, desire, and ambition." He replied. "And I will say, the weapons of the other four worlds have made for _wonderful_ inspiration. Lower lifeforms really are great at making devastating weapons. It covers up their weaknesses."

Suddenly, another Rakuen scientist rushed in. "Another interruption." The leader's mood immediately changed to annoyed once more. "Do I have to put a sign on the damn door?"

"I'm sorry, sir, this is urgent." The second scientist claimed. "Those deep sea sensors you created have picked up a massive disturbance through the waters."

"It's probably just another sea king." The leader was quick to brush it off. "I still haven't fine-tuned it to not respond to that. It's proving to be...surprisingly difficult."

"Sir, I don't think it's a sea king." The second scientist explained. "This reading was larger than anything a sea king could have put out. And it wasn't just a few dozen sensors. It was hundreds. Maybe even thousands. Our machines are going crazy with readings."

This piqued the leader's interest. "Sir," the second scientist continued, "I think the Allied Forces are converging upon Fishman Island."

The leader fell silent for a moment before laughing darkly. "Well, if they get past the mines, I guess that means we have a fight on our hands." He cheerfully noted before turning around, revealing a distinct lack of a face.

"Have the troops mobilize, inform them of the situation, you know the drill, now leave me to my work, what I am doing is important." Sagi the Fraud of the Nine Dark Circles announced from the safety of his Faux Man.

As the two scientists bowed and left Sagi to his work. Sagi rolled his eyes before returning to his work. It was a tiny little Iron Maiden that almost looked like an infant. He then raised a dagger over the infant and stabbed downwards, only for the infant to grab the dagger, stopping it. Sagi gasped in amazement.

This little Iron Maiden...had the intellect to block the stab. _When Alpha was created, we knew that we were slowly creating Iron Maidens with greater intellect and even sentience...but to reach this level already...a level to actually have a survival instinct of all things. Even I never expected such a thing._

Sagi quickly called for an attendant to transport the infant Iron Maiden back to Rakuen for further study. He then turned his attention to the situation at hand: the approaching Allied army.

He snarled in anticipation, eager to crush these enemies for a very personal reason. _That army better have one of the Acts of Order. I have an 80% chance of seeing one of them, but they better be here._ Sagi thought. _Those damn brats...they humiliated me in front of Lord Konton. They humiliated me...Lord Konton demanded I take a bunch of brats seriously. They humiliated me!_

Sagi growled in anticipation. _30% of my full strength will be enough, regardless of who he is. I'm going to crush that brat, and send a message that I am to be respected. I am to be taken seriously. Lord Konton will know that we don't have to acknowledge those brats as real threats in the face of true power!_

As Sagi made his appropriate preparations in crushing his enemy and prove himself the superior one. The most senior member of the Nine Dark Circles!

Elsewhere, the 5th Fleet remained surprisingly calm in spite of their trip straight down to Fishman Island. Naruto Uzumaki sat in a meditative position as he gazed intently into the black abyss ahead of them.

" **How are you feeling, Kid?"** Kurama asked.

" _I'm feeling as good as I can be, when you're about to march into danger."_ Naruto responded.

" **...Yeah, I guess that was a stupid question."** Kurama acknowledged.

Naruto could not help but chuckle. _"You've gotten way more humble, Kurama."_ He joked. _"Back in the day, you would've roared at me for responding with such snarky disrespect."_

" **Well, back in the day, I didn't realize my latest vessel would become a friend."** Kurama pointed out.

Naruto gasped. _"Should I be worried, Kurama? It's not like you to be this sentimental."_

" **Shut up, idiot!"** Kurama yelled. **"I'm still the ultimate Tailed Beast, never forget that!**

This made Naruto laugh before he said with utter sincerity. _"I really am glad you were sealed inside of me, Kurama."_ He admitted.

" **Don't say stupid crap like that, it's my fault your childhood sucked."** Kurama reminded him. **"Mine and that Obito's."**

Naruto shook his head. _"What happened to me back then was the result of years of hate, war, and vengeance leading up to a single moment."_ He countered. _"In a way, Neji was right back then, there is such a thing as fate. But what I think Neji failed to realize is that you can take control of your fate and make it your own."_

" _And you know, it was thanks to you being sealed in me, along with so many other factors, that I was able to take control of my fate and do great things for our world."_ Naruto reminded him. _"I know we got off to a rocky start, but you were as big a part of the person I am today as all the other important people in my life. So...thanks, man."_

Kurama's eyes widened. For Naruto to put him on the level of his parents, Iruka, Kakashi, Jiraiya, the 3rd Hokage, and all of his friends. He knew Naruto thought highly of him, but not to that point.

For a brief moment, the Nine Tailed Fox allowed a small, toothy smile. **"I'm...glad you were the one I was sealed in."** He muttered before adding much louder. **"Naruto, I'm with you until the end. Whatever happens, know that I'll be right with you to help you. I'm still inside you after all."**

" _Wouldn't have it any other way, partner."_

As soon as Naruto and Kurama finished their heart to heart, an explosion suddenly rocked the boat. "Whoa!" Brook suddenly yelled, falling all over himself up and down the deck. "Who's rocking the boat? Don't rock the boat, baby!"

"What happened?" Naruto got up from his seat and ran to the bow of the ship.

His eyes widened in surprise when he saw several spherical masses floating in the water. "What the hell are those things?" He wondered.

Brook ran up to Naruto's side. "Are those mines?!" He frantically yelled.

"Mines?"

"Military technology that I guess your world doesn't have." Brook explained. "I've heard of navy blockades that love to use these things, but I never thought I'd see them this deep in the ocean."

Jellal Fernandes, meanwhile, was all business now. "Was there any damage?" He asked a nearby shipwright.

"No, sir, the coating held. Thankfully this is made of some pretty strong stuff." The shipwright responded. "However, I must advise against taking too many unnecessary hits like that. It could very well rupture it and then we'd have a real problem."

Jellal frowned, folding his arms. "Retreat and failure is not an option." He muttered, before retreating into his cabin to speak into his mass transponder snail. "All ships, ready front cannons! We're going to clear our path to Fishman Island!"

At that moment, the fronts of several ships opened up, revealing large cannons, like the Thousand Sunny's Gaoh Cannon. "Fire at will!" Jellal ordered.

Cannonballs flew from the ships, straight into the mines. Explosions underwater would become the ringing bells that signaled the beginning of the Battle of Fishman Island…

 **A.N: Ha! Consider yourselves trolled! Come on, did you really think I would actually make Naruto a captive of the Coalition?**

 **And then there's Sagi. Mr. Anything-is-Permitted-in-War-Especially-if-it's-Done-in-the-Name-of-Science. To put it in perspective, he's without a doubt in the top 3 most twisted members of the Nine Dark Circles. Only because nobody's a person in his eyes: just a future test subject. I'll leave it up to you to figure out who the other two are. I just want to point out, in a team where a guy labeled 'The Violence' exists, there are three people, personality-wise, who are even worse than him.**

 **Hope y'all enjoyed the chapter. See you next month.**


	19. Chapter 19: Black Pools

**Chapter 19: Black Pools**

As landmines began exploding around the 5th Fleet as they dived deeper into the ocean, making their way to Fishman Island, Naruto Uzumaki did not hesitate. He quickly formed a familiar hand sign as he stood at the bow of the ship. "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto yelled.

"Naruto!" Jellal Fernandes yelled. "Just what in the world are you planning?"

"Something most people would call reckless if I didn't have the luxury of abusing the Shadow Clone Jutsu." Naruto admitted as the clones all dove through the coating with enough speed that the actual coating failed to register the breach. It was like the opposite of being able to stand inside a giant bubble.

Everyone onboard Naruto's ship watched in surprise as the Shadow Clones all quickly formed Rasengans aimed right at the mines. Immediately, the mines exploded in a reckless kamikaze attack from the Act of Order.

"WHOA!" Brook yelled. "Naruto, you just blew yourself up like a hundred times!"

"Only my clones did, Brook." Naruto grit his teeth slightly, feeling the hundreds of explosions hitting him like...well, explosions.

Jellal watched as the force from the Rasengans and the mines actually created a chain reaction that cleared the entire minefield in a matter of minutes. "Well, I'd suggest giving your clones a medal of honor, but then I'd have to look at the comical scene of you covered in them." He mused before speaking into a portable transponder snail. "All ships, Naruto has just cleared the way for us! Sail forward!"

And so, the forward progress of the 5th Fleet began once more in earnest. Compared to everything they had experienced previously, a bunch of mines seemed like such a trivial matter. Sadly, nothing could prepare any of them for the sights they would be forced to witness on Fishman Island.

On Fishman Island, Sagi calmly strode through the halls of Ryugu Palace. His work now complete, the 8th Circle of Fraud could now focus his efforts on driving back these insects who seemed to think they could just march into his new territory and do whatever the hell they wanted. He could not wait to see the looks of despair on his face when they discovered this Faux Man he was using as a vessel could only draw on 30% of his power at best. And he could not even use his Art, either. Oh yeah, this would be true despair!

"Lord Sagi!" A soldier came running up to him.

"Ugh, now what." Sagi groaned.

"Umm...sorry to bother you, sir, but our sensors just got an update from around the island. It looks like something just blew up every single mine in the area. The enemy ships are converging on us unopposed."

"And that matters to me because why exactly?"

"...You are our commanding officer, sir." The soldier reminded him.

"That I am, and because I'm calm, you should be calm too, you twit." Sagi snarled.

"I...I should?" The soldier now looked so confused. "Why should I be calm?"

Sagi groaned in utter defeat, wondering if he had done something bad in a previous life to deserve this treatment. This annoying, annoying, annoying treatment. "Well, for starters, I'm here." Sagi reminded the soldier. "And as long as I'm here, victory is guaranteed."

"...You're not here though. I mean, you're with us in spirit." That response would have made Sagi tear his hair out, if this mechanical body of his had hair.

Sagi managed to remain calm. "The Faux Man was designed to allow the Circles to participate without fear of retaliation from the Saint Warriors." Sagi explained to the soldier. "While our power in these bodies pale in comparison to when we are in the flesh, we are still incredibly powerful."

"Powerful enough to beat an Act of Order?"

"Do not doubt the power of the nine elite soldiers handpicked by Lord Konton himself, boy." Sagi growled. "Do not even begin to try and imagine the lengths we were willing to go to crawl our way up the ranks. I'm sure you know that Lord Konton is a very hard man to impress."

"Of course, but that's what makes his praise truly valuable, sir." The soldier claimed.

"Smart lad," Sagi acknowledged, "the Circles stole, killed, betrayed, anything to prove our worth to the king."

 _Even Itan's hands aren't clean._ Sagi mused. _That man...to think he'd be willing to stand upon a mountain of burnt corpses just to prove that he had completely bought into Lord Konton's beliefs. And yet he rarely acts like he's capable of doing such a thing. A truly odd man, but his strength cannot be second-guessed._

"The point is," Sagi continued, "as long as any of us are here, you have no reason to worry. Besides, once they see how we've...redecorated Fishman Island, they're going to blindly charge in like fools, making them ripe for the picking."

The soldier shuddered at this. "That I can certainly agree with sir." He admitted. "If that happened to anyone on our side, I would scream for vengeance too."

Sagi laughed. "And that's what makes using such emotions against people an effective strategy." He noted. "Virtue and sentiment are for losers. And we're going to exploit the hell out of that and become winners."

"Now, if you're done bothering me, return to your. If you want me to lead the troops that badly then stop bothering me so that I may work." Sagi ordered.

"Oh, right, of course, thank you, Lord Sagi." The soldier bowed before running to return to his post.

Sagi heaved an overdramatic sigh as he made his way to the war room. "I'm surrounded by idiots." He groaned. "Blithering idiots who can't seem to understand that we've already won. Well, I suppose the kind thing to do would be to humor them and act like this is something we should be concerned about. Of course, like always I reserve the right to note how utterly foolish and ridiculous they are, wasting both my time and theirs by worrying about incredibly trivial matters such as these."

"Like I told that brat, the plan's already in place. Through failed experiments, I've guaranteed our victory on Fishman Island. And if we can just get rid of the coating on their ships, we can trap them here and force them to fight to the death." Sagi noted.

Sagi then walked up to a window in the palace. He then amplified his voice and shouted out to his soldiers. "The enemy is on their way to Fishman Island!" He yelled. "Please, for the sake of our ambitions, give them a welcome so wonderful they will never want to leave!"

Elsewhere, a lone Arrancar scowled at the grandiose behavior of the Fraud. "Such a pompous personality." He scoffed before musing. "To think that the heart could create such a thing...it seems I still have much to learn."

An elderly looking cripple was scowling as well at his location. "That one's arrogance never ceases to irritate me." He admitted to himself, with no sense of irony. "The only passion he feels is towards himself. Living proof that soldiers are meant to be tools. If he killed his own emotions he would be unstoppable."

A demonic woman with almost avian like features, smirked as she rose up and popped her neck. "Well then, let's begin." She said simply.

And finally, a single man who looked like a pirate clown gave his own orders to soldiers who seemed ready to follow his every command. "Wipe them out! All of them! Crush them all to your heart's content!" He yelled. "And just remember, as you are subordinates of one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, everything you do will be forgiven!"

"Yes sir, Captain Buggy!" Buggy the Clown's creepy cult of adoring fans cheered.

Buggy, inwardly was freaking out. _What the hell?!_ He screamed inwardly. _I never wanted any part of this! I just wanted a cushy job as a Warlord so that all my pirating would be excused by law! I shook down so many towns and said: 'this is in the name of the government', and people just let that go! Now I have to fight people I know I don't really have any chance of beating! Damn it, did I do something bad in a previous life? What, did me holding a grudge against Shanks curse me or something? How is it possible that me, a guy who's only crime is being a pirate in a world filled with pirates, is cursed with a fate like this?!_

 _Well,_ Buggy took a deep breath inwardly, regaining his composure, _all is not necessarily lost. I still have my crew to fall back on. If things go badly, I've got them to fight for my sake. This lot survived Impel Down. I should be fine as long as I've got all of them with me, right?_

The ships of the 5th Fleet continued their dive downwards. Jellal Fernandes was frowning at how quickly they were advancing. Erza took notice of this and did not hesitate to speak up. "Jellal," she said, "what's wrong?"

"This seems too easy." Jellal muttered. "Those mines were one thing, but why wouldn't they have any traps remaining? Don't they realize how easy it would be to sink us if they simply ruptured the coating?"

Erza hummed thoughtfully at this. "Perhaps they realized we had the power to easily beat back those traps, like we had just seen with Naruto?"

"It would still pay to be on guard." Jellal reminded her. "If there's one thing I've learned about the Coalition since this war began, is their willingness to do whatever it takes to win."

"Between Nirvana and everything else they've tried, I can definitely agree with that sentiment." Erza acknowledged.

The 5th Fleet continued to dive further downwards. Slowly a giant bubble came into view. Naruto's eyes widened at the sight. "No freaking way." He muttered. "Is that…"

Brook stepped forward with a somber expression on his face. "It is," he nodded, "that's Fishman Island. God, it seems like it was only yesterday when we had saved the people from hatred and those New Fishman Pirates."

Brook looked around. "The island is underneath the trench that we just entered. Normally, 30% of the ships that travel down there don't survive the trip. I'm so glad we all got here alive."

"30%!" Naruto exclaimed. "Geez, I wouldn't have been as inclined to go if the risk had been that big. I mean, we're all risking our lives, but…"

Brook smiled. "Thankfully, we were lucky to have the aid of some wonderful shipwrights and coaters to protect our ships." He pointed out. "Once you deal with the water pressure, the risk decreases quite a bit."

"And honestly, that's what worries me the most." Brook continued. "The real risk comes from the Sea Kings that make this trench their home. This place...is as dead as I was."

Naruto's eyes widened. "You don't think..."

"I don't think, Naruto, I know." Brook grimly explained. "There's...no doubt in my mind that they-at best-scared off all the wildlife. Worst case scenario...they killed them all, simply because they could."

Naruto instinctively went to the side of the ship, looking for some sort of evidence to tell him what happened to the wildlife. He was then treated to a terrible sight. "Brook," Naruto said, horrified by what he saw.

Brook ran over to the side with Naruto and gasped. A giant skeleton of some sort carnivorous Sea King laid across the ocean floor. He almost pointed out that it was just like him now, but he knew not to make light of death in a situation like this. "Oh God…" Brook moaned in horror.

"What's the point of all this?" Naruto wondered. "What do they hope to accomplish by just...destroying everything they come across?"

Brook shook his head. "I wish I knew," he admitted before frowning in anger, "but I will say this...people who waste lives are what I hate the most."

Brook gazed at the giant bubble, holding Fishman Island inside. "We need to fix this." He muttered. "We need to make this right. If people are this okay with taking lives...like it doesn't even matter...they need to be stopped."

"And we will." Naruto promised.

Brook smiled at Naruto's optimism. "I know we will."

Immediately, the ships of the 5th Fleet penetrated the massive bubble that was the protective shield of Fishman Island. They had managed to ascend thanks to letting off some weight in the ships. As a reminder, coated ships sink upon hitting the water. So, the only way to ascend was to let off some weight. One by one, they emerged from the oceans surrounding the mainland of Fishman Island.

Jellal heard the sound of ringing and immediately noted it was his portable transponder snail. He quickly answered it and was treated to the sound of Shinji Hirako's voice. "I'm all the way on the other side of the island. We've got the entire mainland surrounded."

Jellal nodded in understanding. "I trust you to handle things on your end, Shinji." Jellal told him.

"Remember who you're dealing with, J." Jellal could hear Shinji smirking on the other end. "We're going to win this. You just remember to deliver on your end."

"Sheesh, you never change." Jellal chuckled before hanging up.

He then walked over to the coating and pressed his hand against it. "So now what, we just puncture the coating? How the hell do we get back?"

The shipwright who had been in charge of coating this particular ship came up to Jellal, hearing the commander's uncertainty. "No worries, Commander, we can puncture the coating with no worry. Fishman Island is known for growing materials for coating. Once we've taken the island back, we'll be able to apply coating back to the ship and then ascend back up to the surface."

"Good to know," Jellal nodded before delivering a punch right to the coating, making it burst immediately.

One by one, the coating around each ship began to pop. On a ship close to the shore, Rogue Cheney's nostrils were immediately assailed by a foul stench upon the coating being popped. "Gah!" Rogue yelled, grabbing his nose. "What is that? I've...I've never smelled something so foul before!"

Rogue looked around, immediately noticing that the rest of his shipmates were experiencing something similar. They did not have it as bad as he did, because they lacked the nostrils of the Dragon Slayer, but it was still awful.

Naruto Uzumaki was in a similar boat. "What the hell is that?" He wondered. "It's like...a garbage dump multiplied by a hundred with...bodies stuffed into it."

"Good thing I don't have a nose." Brook said, completely devoid of humor, even though he had practically made a skull joke.

"Just power through it." Jellal ordered. "We're all dealing with it. Just think of it as added motivation to get this done as quickly as possible."

"Now, everyone get the boats ready!" Jellal continued. "I want to be on the shores, ASAP! The sooner we take back Fishman Island, the better! Come on, people, on the double! Let's go!"

"Yes sir!" The soldiers on Jellal's ship yelled.

The soldiers moved on the double, getting the boats into the water. Within minutes, several small boats, filled to the brim with soldiers were sailing to the mainland of Fishman Island. Jellal Fernandes frowned. "No traps...no troops waiting on the shore. What is the meaning of this?"

"Well, maybe the traps and troops are later on?" Brook suggested.

"Well, that's pretty obvious." Jellal noted. "But they have to know that they're surrounded like this. They have to know that they've put themselves in danger by letting us surround them without making any attempts at whitling down our numbers at least."

"Jellal, please do us a favor and not sound so bummed that they didn't set any traps for us." Naruto deadpanned.

"You know that's why I'm not saying all of this." Jellal deadpanned right back. "The fact that nothing's happening now should be what worries us the most."

Jellal then grimaced at the foul stench that seemed to worsen with every passing moment. "Gah, although if I'm being perfectly honest, this foul stench is starting to become far worse than any trap they could set for us."

"Well, hey, maybe that was their big evil plan all this time?" Naruto suggested.

"Yo ho ho ho!" Brook laughed. "Good thing I don't have a proper nose like you all do, otherwise I'd be going through hell like the rest of you!"

Jellal noticed the shoreline coming into view. "Thank goodness," he muttered, "everyone, stick with your friends, watch each other's backs, and we'll all get to go home."

And with that, the boats hit the shore and the Allied Forces immediately ran ashore. Unbeknownst to them, they had already tripped a few sensors that had informed a certain mad scientist that they had arrived on the shore.

Back at Ryugu Palace, Sagi chuckled darkly as he received the data that the 5th Fleet had reached the shore. "Well now, you certainly kept me waiting." He noted. "I can't wait to see if you manage to come charging into this palace, screaming how much you despise me for my 'crimes against humanity.'"

"Removing all sense of rationality from your enemies is the key to victory. Turn them into barbarians of rage and hatred. Make them focus on one thing: taking your head from your shoulders."

"Take away someone's eyes, heart, mind, their very sensibilities, and you leave them vulnerable." Sagi noted. "After all, humans and other intelligent life only survived and prospered because of their reason. You take that away, and they're no better than savage, disgusting animals, ripe for being slaughtered."

"So tell me, Allied Forces." Sagi chuckled. "Let's see what your virtue does for you when it forces you to devolve into frothing beasts."

"Should be hearing the anguished, angry screams of the enemy very soon. I must admit, I'm all a tingle for when that happens." Indeed, all Sagi had to do now was wait for the exact moment that the Allied Forces turned into vengeful beasts.

That was when he would strike them down, and prove to his master that taking this rabble seriously was a waste of his valuable time.

Back with the 5th Fleet, the soldiers of the Allied Forces did not get far before they were stopped in their tracks at the sight of something truly horrible. One by one, they all went pale at the horrific sight. Brook actually felt sick to his stomach, which was something odd because he did not have a working stomach...actually, it was very inappropriate to be making a skull joke at the moment.

"What the hell?" Naruto muttered in horrified disbelief. "What the hell?!"

Across the mainland were pools, where mermaids and mermen used to frolic and play. However, those pools, which were once crystal clear, a symbol of the carefree life the people of the sea could live, far away from human prejudice, no longer had such beauty. Instead, a hellish sight that left lesser soldiers vomiting in disgust and terror.

The pools had turned pure black, undoubtedly from the actions of the Coalition and their science experiments. Inside of those pools were the floating corpses of mermaids, mermen and other fishmen who had been unlucky enough to have been unable to escape the Coalition's initial conquest.

The bodies looked terrible. Their skin had turned red with puffed out areas that looked like horrible bee stings. Their faces were frozen in silent screams that they had let out before death had claimed them.

"What in God's name is that?" Naruto muttered before adding in a louder tone of voice. "What the hell did these people do to Fishman Island?"

"We were just here," Brook muttered, "it was practically yesterday when we were saving Fishman Island from the New Fishman Pirates. How...how did things get so bad?"

"How many?" Erza muttered, visibly trying to stop herself from breaking down. "How many did they toss into those black pools?"

Jellal looked furious. "We're probably not even seeing all of them." He noted, taking stock of the immense number of executed residents that were already present. "They've had Fishman Island under their control for how long now? Who knows what they've done and to how many?"

Elsewhere, Shinji Hirako snarled, showing uncharacteristic fury. "The hell's wrong with these guys?" He growled. "Was it not enough to just conquer them? They had to toss them into...whatever the hell all this crap is? And for what? Some sort of sick game?!"

Rogue Cheney covered his nose. This was what he was smelling. The scent of death and whatever the hell had caused it.

Eustass Kid looked away, shaking his head at such brutality. He may be responsible for brutal attacks himself, but never to this level. And he certainly never outright tortured civilians. They had just been unlucky enough to be caught in the crossfire. Hell, after his experience with Kaido and rescue by Chitsujo, Kid admittedly had a lot put in perspective, much to his slight irritation on the matter.

Now, even he probably could not do something half as bad without feeling genuine remorse. Man, screw being part of the Alliance, how dare they make him feel genuine empathy for others.

Tetsuzaemon Iba gazed at the furiously bristling Sajin Komamura. "Captain Komamura," he said softly, knowing that such brutality was getting to him. It was more bestial than even the dog-like captain, who had once been discriminated against for his features.

"...them." Komamura was muttering something, but the last part was the only thing Tetsuzaemon had heard.

"I...didn't catch that, Captain." Tetsuzaemon told him.

Tetsuzaemon's eyes then widened at Komamura's eyes. They were as feral as the rest of his features were. "Kill every last one of them!" Komamura screamed while several furious Alliance soldiers yelled in agreement.

Tetsuzaemon gasped in worry as Komamura charged ahead with several soldiers right behind him, all screaming for vengeance in the name of all those whom the Coalition had tortured and killed. He had never seen his captain like this before. Even during the Wandenreich Invasion, when Komamura had to watch as his men were cut down and slaughtered by the invading Quincy army, he had kept his composure in comparison to others.

Perhaps that was because the dead had been soldiers, men and women who go out on the battlefield knowing it could be their last day alive. In this case, these were innocent civilians, dragged into the middle of a vicious war.

In a way, Tetsuzaemon did understand Komamura's feelings on the matter. However, as the Lieutenant of Squad 7, Tetsuzaemon also had the added responsibility of making sure that his captain did not go off the deep end like his old friend, Kaname Tosen did back then.

"Captain Komamura!" Tetsuzaemon frantically yelled, running after his captain.

Jellal suddenly received a call on his portable transponder snail. Regaining his composure, he answered it. "What is it?" He asked.

"Jellal, I just got word of a serious problem." Came Shinji's voice on the other end. "A bunch of troops just charged on ahead! They're so pissed about what the Coalition's done, they can't think straight!"

Jellal's eyes widened. Was this their plan all along? "Damn," Jellal growled, no longer able to think about revenge. Now he was more worried about his angry soldiers.

"Shinji," Jellal addressed his proxy, "what about you, are you still emotionally capable of continuing?"

"I'm pissed as hell, Jellal, but I can keep going." Shinji responded. "I'm just gonna channel all this rage into whooping their asses."

"Good enough for me." Jellal said. "We have no choice but to continue. We can't just turn back and re-coat the ships. So we're going to have to follow after our charging allies and make sure their rage doesn't get themselves killed."

"Couldn't agree more, J. Stay safe and keep your head cool!" Shinji hung up.

Jellal addressed the troops around him. They all looked ready to charge towards the Coalition in sheer rage. "Okay, first of all, take a deep breath and calm the hell down!" Jellal yelled at the soldiers around him.

Everyone looked at Jellal in disbelief. He was usually calm, kind and polite to everyone. Hearing something like that shouted at them, from him, of all people, was crazy to think about and experience. "I get that you're mad right now." Jellal told them. "I'm in the same boat. It's taking every ounce of self-control not to lose myself to rage."

"Truth be told, a part of me wants to!" Jellal continued. "I really, really want to just charge in and add to my sins! And you know what, I wouldn't even care if I did! What I want to do to them for these atrocities...let's just say that what I would do to them would be one sin I can definitely forgive myself for!"

"But if we charge in, screaming for vengeance, we'd only be playing right into the enemy's hands!" Jellal reminded them. "Don't you get it! This is exactly what they want! They're trying to throw us off our game and force us to make mistakes."

"I understand your anger, I'm feeling the same way." Jellal assured them. "But don't let it out! Keep your minds cleared and remember why we're here. We're here to take back the island for the sake of those still alive. And I can promise you, it's going to be much harder if we fight solely for vengeance!"

"Now, let's keep going!" Jellal yelled. "If I see any of you charge ahead of me with an intent for revenge, I promise you, I'm going to knock you out cold."

Naruto ran up to Jellal's side as the group resumed their advance. "Jellal," he said, "what about the soldiers that have already gone on a rampage?"

Jellal sighed. "Not much we can do." He admitted. "We can't just collect them and leave until cooler heads prevail. This was a one way trip until we take back Fishman Island and recoat our ships."

"So what do we do then?" Naruto asked.

"We'll just need the people who have not fallen for this trick to watch the backs of those who have." Jellal noted. "As long as we can keep their rage contained, we can try to use it to our advantage. But when we're done, I clearly need to have a long talk with some of the men about keeping their anger under control."

"Jellal, don't be too hard on them." Naruto told him. "I mean, you even said that it's hard to keep yourself under control."

"I meant that," Jellal nodded, "even so, they've put the entire operation at risk."

Naruto could not argue with that. **"Naruto,"** Kurama spoke up, **"if they really do matter to you, then you need to watch their backs like Jellal had told you."**

" _Then I'm going to need to be in multiple places at once."_ Naruto pointed out before forming a familiar Hand Sign.

"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto yelled, creating hundreds of clones of himself, which immediately dispersed across the island.

Jellal nodded in approval at Naruto's actions. He gazed out at the mainland of Fishman Island, grimacing at the many pools and reefs that mermaids and mermen used to play in before the Coalition had turned it into a hellscape. _I don't know what sick bastard thought this was the best way to get a rise out of us, but I have to admit, he was right._ Jellal sighed inwardly. _But we have no choice but to continue...hopefully he'll regret pissing us off this much by the time this is over._

"Milord Sagi!" Sagi sighed as a footsoldier called out to him. He was now in the Ryugu Palace's throne room, waiting to see if anyone could actually reach him.

"What is it this time?" Sagi demanded.

"It appears the Alliance is already in disarray. Some are still marching at an orderly pace while others are charging ahead recklessly." The soldier told him.

"Of course they did!" Sagi snapped. "Just as I hypothesized when I ordered the reefs and pools to be left in that state! Do you really think I need to be told that _I_ was right?"

"Umm...maybe? I don't know, sir." The soldier nervously admitted.

"By the gods, are you going to start telling me when one of those idiots blow their nose?"

"...I mean, if one of them had some sort of mucus-based power, then yes."

"Ugh, leave." Sagi ordered. "Just, leave me be. And do not bother me again unless something that I didn't account for happens. And since there is nothing my genius hasn't predicted, that means I don't want you, or any of you damn canon fodder to bother me until we drive these barbarians off!"

"Y-yes sir!" The soldier fearfully scrambled away.

Sagi groaned in utter annoyance. "Of course I knew they would lose themselves to rage. I am Sagi, the most brilliant mind in the universe." Sagi pointed out. "Everything that occurs, I already hypothesized. Do all these worthless neanderthals really think that Lord Konton would recognize any average genius as one of his most elite soldiers? Let alone the very first of them all?"

"Nay, I am a genius that surpasses geniuses. And that Chitsujo was a damn fool to not recognize that back in the day." Sagi bitterly noted before adding with a chuckle. "Now then, if my hypothesis is correct-and it always is-Ulquiorra and Yammy will be confronting their foes first. Those two were always the most eager to get into battle."

Indeed, just as Sagi predicted, Ulquiorra Cifer and Yammy Riyalgo watched as several Alliance Soldiers began furiously charging towards them. They watched as they easily tore through several footsoldiers who had been unlucky enough to stand in their way.

"Machina Soul!" Jenny Realight barrelled through flying Coalition soldiers, donning one of her many Machina Soul Outfits.

"Cloud Sword Style: Front Beheading!" Karui slashed forward.

"Electro Fang!" Wanda of the Mink Tribe slashed through several soldiers, electrocuting them as well.

Yammy laughed boisterously. "Hey, would you look at that, Ulquiorra? It looks like that guy without the face got it dead on. We were the first ones to find some people to fight. So what do ya think? Think any of them could provide a challenge?"

Ulquiorra frowned. "I can sense their energy." He shook his head. "Perhaps a few of them might be worth noting but...the rest are simply trash."

Yammy grinned. "Think I could suck them all up with Gonzui?"

"Fool, Gonzui works on civilians at best. Anyone with a decent amount of energy could withstand it. Might I remind you that even a civilian back at Karakura had managed to keep her soul in spite of being in the blast range?" Ulquiorra calmly reminded the brute of an Espada.

Yammy laughed once more. "Well, what do you know, I honestly did forget about that. But can you blame me? It's hard to remember every single person I've devoured and tried to devour. I mean, do humans remember how many loaves of bread they've eaten in their lives?"

Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow at Yammy's statement. Him saying something profound was...odd, to say the least. Ulquiorra then noticed a girl with buns in her hair leap up, unrolling a massive scroll. He noticed her eyes trained on Yammy.

"Yammy," he said, pointing at the girl, "it appears someone wishes to fight you."

"Excellent!" Yammy turned his attention to where Ulquiorra was pointing, only for Tenten to strike.

"Take this!" The Leaf Chunin yelled as several kunai came rushing out of the scroll.

Yammy instinctively crossed his arms over his face as the kunai rained down on his body, turning him into a muscular pincushion. "That tickled." Yammy said simply, feeling no pain from the attack.

Tenten's eyes widened as she landed. "Damn, is that the Hierro ability Arrancar seem to have?"

Someone rushed right past Tenten. Ulquiorra frowned. "Yammy, you've got someone else trying to attack you." He said simply.

Yammy peeked from behind his arms, only to be knocked off his feet by a powerful punch from Jenny Realight. Ulquiorra watched as Jenny Realight kept her gaze solely on Yammy. "You all need to pay, every last one of you!" She screamed before running up to Yammy to continue her assault.

"...Yammy seems quite popular right now." Ulquiorra mused. "Is this simply the effect of being a 'bigger target' as Nnoitra would say?"

"Or perhaps it's the other aspects of his appearance." Ulquiorra continued. "Appearance-wise, Yammy is the type of person who would engage in the atrocities that Sagi committed. Then again, it's rather unfair to focus their rage solely on him. We all either agreed or looked the other way as Sagi and his assistants dumped hundreds of Fishman Island's residents into those black pools."

"And yet Yammy is the popular target right now...the heart is truly a mysterious thing." Ulquiorra concluded.

Ulquiorra then let out a gasp as a powerful bloodlust was directed right at him. _Such strength._ He inwardly noted before instinctively raising his arm into the air, blocking a powerful downwards punch from a rampaging beast of a man.

Bipolar Jugo glared hatefully at Ulquiorra. "I'm going to kill you! All of you!" Jugo screamed. "How dare you commit such crimes!"

Ulquiorra looked straight into Jugo's eyes, raising a curious eyebrow at the wild, murderous gaze he held. "Curious," he mused, "that gaze of yours would make you fit right in with the Hollows. And your power is...odd, very odd."

Jugo roared, ignoring Ulquiorra studying him and transformed his free hand into an axe, swinging it right at Ulquiorra's neck. Ulquiorra calmly took the swing. The axe did not even come close to penetrating the skin. "Don't even bother," he said, "my Hierro is far stronger than Yammy's. It's only gotten stronger since I returned to life."

"Now, Bala." Ulquiorra calmly fired a ball of Spirit Energy into Jugo's stomach, sending the berserker flying away from him.

Jugo landed on all fours like a beast and roared at Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra raised another curious eyebrow at Jugo's behavior. "And now I strangely find myself reminded of Ichigo Kurosaki when I gaze at you." He noted. "Hmm...how strange. Thinking about that makes me want to crush you even more."

Jugo roared again and rushed Ulquiorra on all fours before leaping up and delivering a haymaker that the 4th Espada easily blocked with his bare hand. "I...actually despise Ichigo Kurosaki." Ulquiorra realized. "Never have I truly hated someone before. And yet every fiber of my being tells me the same thing: that man is unforgivable for simply not doing what I told him."

"Is this what it also means to have a heart?" Ulquiorra wondered, at this point no longer focused on Jugo. "I see...how curious."

Ulquiorra then increased his exertion and pushed Jugo away from him once more. He then took a moment to sense for his old rival's Spiritual Pressure. He instinctively placed his hands in his pockets when he could not sense Ichigo's presence anywhere. "Disappointing." He muttered. "I'm...actually disappointed. Perhaps deep down, I too wish to settle the score. You did say that our battle was unfinished after all."

Ulquiorra then caught a familiar Chakra, one he had not experienced since that day in Menou's Palace. "Naruto Uzumaki," he muttered, unable to restrain a sudden desire for a rematch, "Another foe that was quite interesting for being a mere human. A rematch with him could help me answer my questions on what makes the humans of the other worlds so powerful. And eliminating one of the Acts of Order will allow Lord Konton's plan to proceed."

Ulquiorra was cut off from his musings at the sound of Jugo roaring at him once again. Ulquiorra frowned, taking his hands out of his pockets. "It seems your rage is just going to make you try to face me again and again." Ulquiorra noted.

"Fine," Ulquiorra continued, "If you wish to die that badly, then I will oblige. Just remember that the rage you keep in your 'heart' has led to your death."

"You only have yourself to blame."

Elsewhere, "Diamond" Jozu of the Whitebeard Pirates led a furious charge. The burly man could only see red, wanting to kill whatever Coalition soldiers he could get his hands on. For Jozu, and Fossa and Namur, who were no doubt leading a furious charge elsewhere, this was absolutely personal for him.

Years ago, Whitebeard placed Fishman Island under his protected territories. It drove off the pirates and slavers who constantly put the island in turmoil, and discouraged further attacks. During the time Fishman Island had been under Whitebeard's protection, the Whitebeard Pirates had grown close with the populace, namely the friendship and rivalry between Jinbe and Portgas D. Ace.

Even after Whitebeard's death and the loss of Fishman Island to the Big Mom Pirates, Jozu and many of the Whitebeard Pirates still felt a strong protective urge towards the island, but had been unable to bring themselves to go and try and protect the island themselves due to their shame from losing the infamous "Payback War" to Blackbeard and his crew.

When the Whitebeards had heard the news that Luffy, of all people, had freed Fishman Island, many of the higher-ups had been happy. It felt almost like it was fate. Ace's little brother was the one to save Fishman Island.

But now, Jozu was forced to confront a horrifying reality. In spite of the efforts of the Straw Hats, Fishman Island was doomed to be occupied once more by an enemy force, one more sadistic than the last. He was also forced to confront something else: his guilt. Jozu knew, deep down, that Fishman Island would not have to go through all of this had they not selfishly attacked Blackbeard for revenge and focused on protecting what they still had. Hell, even if they had lost, that was still no excuse for at least a few of them not to go back to Fishman Island and protect it.

These people had suffered God knows how much before their untimely deaths, and Jozu and the Whitebeards were partly responsible. That was how Jozu saw things. And there was nothing he could do now to atone. The dead were already dead, and would stay as such.

There was nothing he could do now to make up for this...except for crushing as many Coalition scumbags as possible, and that was frankly the bare minimum. It would not ease his guilt-ridden soul in the long-run.

But, bashing some skulls in would make him feel better right now, so Jozu simply vented, with several other soldiers close behind, doing the same. Unbeknownst to the furious soldiers, two individuals were watching the whole thing, and they were now ready to make their move.

Jozu suddenly froze in place. He snapped out of his enraged state. He tried to move his body, only to find it no longer obeying him. "Wh-what?"

Jozu then turned to his fellow soldiers on his own...as though something else were controlling him. Jozu's eyes widened in horror, realizing what was happening. "Not again!" He yelled in disbelief and horror.

Jozu then addressed his fellow soldiers. "Retreat!" He yelled. "Get away from me!"

The soldiers looked at Jozu in confusion. Then, they all yelled in fright, frantically scrambling away as Jozu leapt towards them with a diamond-imbued smash attack. "Not again," Jozu muttered, visibly ashamed of himself, "why does this keep happening to me? Is this Doflamingo's doing again?"

"Not quite." Came the smooth voice of a woman.

Seilah, Goddess of the Chilled Moon, stepped into view, holding a single hand out at Jozu. "You're struggling," she mused, "that's impressive, for a human who's only claim to fame is brute strength and a powerful Devil Fruit. Perhaps there is something to be said about the humans of the Pirate World?"

"If Jozu is being controlled, then we just have to cut down the controller!" Adbullah yelled, appearing in front of Seilah.

"You're going down!" Abdullah's partner, Jeet added, both ready to attack the Etherious and Demon Gate of Tartarus.

Something flashed past both Jeet and Abdullah. Both men were sent flying into the air, screaming in pain. Another Etherious was behind them, claws outstretched. Seilah blushed at the sight of her ally coming to help her. "Lady Kyoka!" She said with glee.

Kyoka, Goddess of the Slave Planet, gazed out at the humans, frantically trying to distance themselves from the two Etherious and Jozu. "To think your Macro Curse has grown strong enough to ensnare a member of the Whitebeards. You've done well, Seilah."

"Oh, thank you, Lady Kyoka." Seilah was practically swooning.

Abdullah and Jeet forced themselves to their feet, glaring at Kyoka. "Not giving up." Jeet muttered.

"Hell no," Abdullah added, "we're members of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet now, under the command of Monkey D. Luffy, the man who's going to be King of the Pirates."

Kyoka narrowed her eyes at the mention of Luffy's name. "Like hell we're just going to give up!" Abdullah and Jeet yelled in unison. "Bring it on, bird-bitch!"

Kyoka spun around and turned her talons into whips, slamming them into both Abdullah and Jeet. Using her Enhancement Curse, she increased the pain tenfold, making both Abdullah and Jeet scream again before collapsing.

"You damn, weak, insignificant pests." Kyoka snarled. "Utter that filthy name in my presence again, and I'll make sure you stay alive through every single torture I have planned for you."

"Straw Hat Luffy, I'll never forgive him!" Kyoka screamed. "How dare he take Lord Zeref away from us?! If I see him...when I see him, I'll make sure he suffers! And if I see anyone who sails under his flag, or even swears fealty to him for that matter, they'll suffer too!"

Abdullah and Jeet bravely rose to their feet. Both men were whimpering, clearly in pain. However, neither had any intention of giving up. Luffy would not give up in this situation. Neither would they.

Kyoka scowled. "And so we continue." Her scowl became a smirk. "Fine by me."

"Seilah," Kyoka addressed her loyal comrade, "focus on using your new toy to break the rank and file. I'm going to deal with these two. It seems that Straw Hat Luffy needs to learn what it's like to lose something he cares about."

Ladies and gentlemen, one of the most tone-deaf statements in human history was spoken on this day by the Etherious, Kyoka.

"Now then, what should I do to you boys first?"

Elsewhere, Buggy the Clown was screaming into a transponder snail. "What do you mean half the enemy is running in, screaming bloody murder?!" He screamed.

"...That's...there's literally no other way to construe that, Captain Buggy." The soldier said on the other end. This was the same poor schmuck that had been talking to Sagi earlier. He was having a very bad day on the job."

"Why did Sagi think that was a good idea?" Buggy screamed.

"Lord Sagi is the most brilliant man in all of Rakuen, just behind Lord Konton himself. It is better not to question his methods." The soldier droned.

"I'll question his methods when they put my important life in peril! Have you forgotten that I'm one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea? I'm important!" Buggy screamed.

"Super important!" Buggy's crew yelled in agreement.

"...I'm sorry to tell you this, Captain Buggy, but I'm afraid that you're honestly not that important in the grand scheme of things. As a Watcher, let me just say that these days it seems like the Seven Warlords are constantly changing. And compared to the Nine Dark Circles...well, I'm sorry, but you're just not that important, now that your universe has expanded. Does the phrase: 'big fish in a small pond' mean anything to you?"

Buggy let out a sound that was a mixture between a demonic goose and a banshee's shriek and hung up the transponder snail. "You okay?" His second in command, Alvida asked with a deadpan expression on her face.

"No!" Buggy shrieked. "I just found out that the guy in charge here just deliberately pissed our enemies off, just to gamble on them becoming careless! I am absolutely, one-hundred percent, not okay!"

"Umm...Captain Buggy?" Buggy's chief of staff, Cabaji nervously spoke up.

"Becoming a Warlord was supposed to give us the easy, wealthy life!" Buggy reminded Alvida. "And as soon as I get the easy life, it gets _ripped away_ from me by a war! _Ripped away,_ Alvida! How in the world is that fair?"

"Captain Buggy…" Mohji, another of Buggy's officers, spoke up with the same nervous tone that Cabaji had.

"And don't even think about giving me that cliche 'life's not fair' crap!" Buggy indignantly continued. "We become pirates to make _life fair_ for people like us!"

Richie, Mohji's pet lion, nervously growled out something. It could only be assumed that he was trying to get Buggy's attention like Mohji and Cabaji had.

Weirdly enough, this was what ended up getting Buggy's attention. "WHAT?" Buggy screamed. "What, Richie? What in the world could possibly be so important that you have to interrupt my completely justified moment of rage against my completely unreasonable rush!"

Richie let out a few nervous growls before pointing outwards. Mohji and Cabaji did the same. Buggy looked to see, a furious Kurotsuchi advancing on the entirety of the Buggy Pirates and Buggy's Delivery, his pirate dispatch alliance.

"Hey, jackasses." Kurotsuchi snarled. "Let me ask ya something. Did you push those poor people into those pools yourselves? Or did ya just stand by and let it happen?"

Buggy whimpered slightly at the angry tone of Kurotsuchi's voice. "You know what, don't answer that. Don't waste my time." Kurotsuchi told them. "Either way, I'm going to break every damn bone in your bodies."

Buggy gave a nervous moan. "So, anyone want to take a crack at the pissed off lady first?" He asked. "Any takers? Anyone?"

"Who says someone's gotta volunteer?" Kurotsuchi cracked her neck in anticipation. "I'd rather get all this pent up rage out in one go by kicking each and every one of your asses at once."

"Now, Earth Style: Stone Fist Jutsu!" Kurotsuchi quickly enveloped her right arm in a gauntlet of stone.

Buggy growled, frustrated at how quickly things had gotten out of control. "This...this isn't fair at all." He muttered to himself.

"Beat her, Captain Buggy!"

Buggy gasped before turning his attention to his cheering subordinates. He recognized many of them as the inmates he had broken out of Impel Down two years ago. Those idiots. He had really loved their immense love for him before. It was so easy to manipulate someone into doing what you wanted when they worshipped you like a living legend.

However, now it was backfiring immensely. Because of their hero worship for Buggy, they now wanted him to fight this crazy, pissed off woman, like it was no trouble for him whatsoever. They were freaking idiots! Did they not know that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. And Kurotsuchi looked scorned beyond belief!

That being said, Buggy knew he could not just say no and run away. If he lost face, he would lose all his loyal followers, and with it, Buggy's Delivery would be forced to disband. And if Buggy's Delivery was forced to disband, the Government would have no reason to keep him around. He would lose his position as a Warlord, and with it: the easy life he had earned through all his actions as a pirate.

God help him, he had to fight. Well, perhaps he could take a page out of the average politician's book and simply talk his way out of this?

Buggy put on his best smirk and walked forward, listening to the cheers of his subordinates. "Well now, little girl." He taunted. "You've certainly got guts to try and face off against the great Buggy, the Clown Star."

Alvida face-palmed, knowing that it was all an act. _I can't help but feel like we're actually going to have our cover blown today._

Kurotsuchi silently glared at Buggy. "But, I'm feeling particularly generous today." Buggy made sure to show off how massive he was in stature, thanks to his powers making him appear taller underneath the heavy cloak he was wearing. "So perhaps if you repent now and walk the other way, I'll let you go."

"Didn't I just tell you I intend to break every bone in your body, clown?" Kurotsuchi reminded him. "You can say you're feeling generous all you want, but I can promise you this: I'm not. I'm going to break you, and you're going to take it like a man."

Buggy had to restrain himself from whimpering at that statement. "Che, so you're going to refuse my generous offer?" Buggy continued to try and scare her away. "You do realize you're digging your own grave, right? Even if you somehow manage to beat me, my loyal followers will simply jump right in and finish the job."

Kurotsuchi walked right up to Buggy, stared him dead in the eye, and responded to that boast. "Bring. It. On." She told him.

Buggy, once again, restrained himself from whimpering in fear at how determined Kurotsuchi was. He put on a brave, arrogant face and raised his hand. Okay, if talking his way out of this like a politician did not work, then he would just have to do it the old fashioned way.

"Your funeral, girl." Buggy told her.

"Yours first." Kurotsuchi responded, throwing a haymaker right into Buggy's 'midsection.'

Kurotsuchi's eyes immediately went wide when Buggy did not flinch at all. In fact, it felt like she was punching nothing. Absolutely nothing.

To Buggy's idiotic subordinates (with the exception of Mohji, Cabaji, Richie and Alvida), it looked like he had taken the punch without any pain whatsoever. "Way to go, Captain Buggy!" They all cheered.

Buggy heaved a relieved sigh. As long as Kurotsuchi did not figure him out, he could always count on his subordinates being too stupid to know that he was practically sharking them. He then gave his best 'disappointed' look at the confused Kurotsuchi. "If that was the best you could do, then you might as well give up right now, little girl."

"Because if that _really_ was the best you could do, then you have no chance at victory." Buggy reached into his cloak and pulled out several large daggers. "Now then, let me show you what I can do."

Elsewhere, Sajin Komamura let out a bestial howl as he tossed several Coalition soldiers away from him. "Death is a kindness!" Komamura screamed. "You do not deserve the release of death!"

"Innocent people, slaughtered by the likes of you!" Komamura continued to rave madly. "I will soak these fields with your blood in retribution!"

Three individuals watched Komamura's rampage from afar. The old man, hobbling on his cane, gazed at Komamura with visible disdain. "Another fool ruled by his pitious emotions." He scowled before adding. "Still, his strength would be quite useful for a new, far superior version of the Leaf Village."

The old man sighed, his hand instinctively going to the bandages above one of his eyes. "No, I shouldn't waste such power. The time between uses makes this trump card far too important. I suppose I'll simply have to break him the old fashioned way."

"Lord Danzo," An orange-haired man spoke up, "if I may, my techniques may be useful if you wish to break him and then recruit him to the Foundation."

Danzo Shimura shook his head. "Considering his bestial appearance, your attempts at infiltrating his mind will not yield good results. I can only imagine it's the same as when a Yamanaka Clansman decides to infiltrate the mind of the average beast. Like infiltrating an ever-changing labyrinth of which there is no escape."

The Shinobi of Darkness stepped forward, slowly revealing himself to be not as crippled as he let on. His cast-bound arm revealed itself to be in perfect condition. He allowed his cane to drop to the ground. The orange haired man quickly picked it up and held it respectfully. "Therefore," Danzo continued, "the only way to tame a beast is through force. Of course, to follow the will of a master is the only value a beast can ever have in life. He will learn to be honored by this privilege."

"Yes, Lord Danzo." Danzo's two Foundation bodyguards said in full agreement.

Komamura then turned his attention to Danzo. "You," Komamura growled, "you're stronger than the others. You must be higher up than the ones I just crushed!"

"And what if I am?" Danzo inquired curiously.

"Then I'm going to kill you!" Komamura promised. "How could someone do this to their fellow man? War is one thing, but an atrocity such as this?"

Danzo shook his head. "Such a naive, stupid beast you are." Danzo told him. "In war, all is permitted if it leads to ultimate victory. For the sake of peace, you must be willing to accomplish anything, sacrifice anything, even ethics and morals that the world foolishly forces upon you, even in times like these."

"They were civilians! They had nothing to do with this!" Komamura screamed. "No matter who it was, throughout history, those who attack civilians in war times are rightfully despised by the rest of the world!"

"And the victors, throughout history, have also been willing to do questionable acts for victory and peace. Good and evil...there is no such thing as good and evil. There are only winners and losers, victory and defeat, and peace and chaos." Danzo countered. "Fools like you, that sad excuse for a Hokage, Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki, you all can never hope to achieve a permanent peace."

"And the Coalition can?"

Danzo scowled. "Like I care for this world and the other worlds anyway." He brushed the matter off. "All that matters to me is the Leaf's standing in the world when this is all over. Once the other Great Nations have been crushed. The Leaf Village will be the only remaining superpower, and I will take my rightful place as Hokage. My era will finally come."

"Your delusional." Komamura growled.

"And you are nothing but a feral beast that needs to be put on a leash, just like that damn Uzumaki brat."

Komamura narrowed his eyes at the mention of Naruto. "You mentioned Naruto again, just who are you?"

"I am Danzo Shimura, the one who will bring true peace to the Ninja World." Danzo introduced himself. "You are nothing but a steppingstone to that dream."

Komamura growled, already despising this man's very existence. The way he talked about Naruto seriously rubbed him the wrong way too. Danzo sighed. "If anything, you two are the same." He mused. "Far more useful to the world answering to a master. 'I'm going to become the Hokage.' Ridiculous! Only people who are willing to dirty their hands for the sake of the village have any right to become Hokage. Naruto Uzumaki's only use in life was answering to the Hokage as a weapon."

Danzo then noticed Komamura lunging towards him. "Die!" Komamura screamed.

"Teleportation Jutsu." Danzo calmly said before vanishing and avoiding Komamura's haymaker.

Komamura growled furiously while Danzo appeared behind Komamura. "I will make you kneel before me, dog." Danzo promised. "I will not allow such power to be wasted just because the wielder is a brute with no discipline."

"Like hell I will allow myself to be broken by a monster like you!" Komamura screamed. "I will not bow to a madman who's willing to justify slaughtering innocent civilians. And I certainly won't bow to a man who speaks of a friend of mine in such a matter!"

"Naruto Uzumaki will become Hokage, not you!" Komamura promised. "A monster like you, who only views things through the lens of winners and losers, has no right to lead a village like the Leaf, nor any village for that matter!"

Danzo continued to scowl, drawing a kunai from his robes. Wind Chakra gathered around it. "You will learn to respect your master, beast." Danzo promised. "The future ruler of the Shinobi World will not be denied that which he has earned through years of service and sacrifice."

Komamura let out a furious howl. "Tenken!" Komamura screamed, manifesting a giant arm and a giant blade before swinging it at Danzo.

"Teleportation Jutsu." Danzo vanished once more, avoiding Komamura's attack with ease.

Danzo reappeared behind Komamura. This time, he struck, swinging the wind blade into Komamura's back. Komamura howled in pain.

"You can howl, roar, and scream your hatred towards me all you wish." Danzo told him. "A true shinobi such as myself will not respond to such pitiful taunts. No matter how hard you try, the results will be the same."

"I will simply...break you." Danzo promised.

Komamura just growled, too blinded by rage to care about Danzo taunting him and the fact that Danzo also had the advantage at the moment.  
Back at Ryugu Palace, Sagi let out a dark, hearty laugh. "By now, the battle has completely devolved into chaos." He mused. "As predicted, the Alliance has fallen right into my trap. It would've been too much to ask for all of them to fall into a blind rage, but even half their army is just as good. Because now their strategies have been tossed out the window. Now, the focus is on trying to get the raging barbarians back on their leash."

"Now, we fight at my pace. Now, we play by my rules. And unfortunately for that Alliance filth, my rules are far too advanced for their feeble minds. They've gotten by playing checkers. And now they're about to be stomped by a true chessmaster."

Meanwhile, in Rakuen, several members of the Nine Dark Circles gazed at Sagi, deadpanning at the fact that the man was laughing madly and talking to himself. "Man loves to hear himself talk. He never changes." Midarana the Lust rolled her eyes.

"Too bad I couldn't get involved." Rin the Limbo pouted. "Cowing those losers at the Reverie into submission was way too easy. How am I supposed to prove myself when I'm given easy jobs like that, huh?"

"Your time will come, all our times will come." Boryoku promised, holding a face-splitting grin.

"Still, credit where credit is due." Itan the Heresy admitted. "Sagi pissed off the Alliance enough to make them forget all their training and their emphasis on tactics and teamwork. The man deserves to be arrogant at times like these."

Midarana chuckled. "And here I thought you'd hate the man for what he did. Honestly, with how you are around those children, I thought this would go too far for you. You are Itan the Heresy after all. The man who thrives on being a contrarian."

Itan shrugged. "Just because I'm not big on killing civilians myself doesn't mean I'm going to bitch about people who do the same. We're all working towards the same goal here, conquering the universe for Lord Konton's sake. Helping that man realize his goal is far more important to me than you realize, Midarana. And if Sagi thinks what he's doing gets us closer to that goal, I ain't gonna complain."

"Still," Itan frowned at Sagi, "this could easily backfire on him. The Alliance has proven themselves capable of rising above many kinds of challenges. I hope the science guy here has planned for that."

"Sagi would not have lasted as long as a member of the Circles were he not capable of such a feat." The Circles all froze as Konton walked into view.

"Lord Konton!" The Circles all bowed in unison.

"To what do we owe the pleasure, My Lord?" Itan asked curiously.

"My curiosity was piqued." Konton replied. "I heard that the Alliance has attacked Fishman Island and thought I might watch Sagi's plan in action. I'm quite interested in how he responds to my critique of him earlier."

"Critique, sir?" Rin frowned.

"As intelligent a man Sagi is, he not only has to plan for his enemies, but for his own arrogance." Konton explained. "It is just as you said, Itan. Sagi's strategy, as brilliant as it is, could easily backfire on him if he's not careful from here."

"If I may, my Lord, regardless of how cocky Sagi can get, I don't think we have to worry too much." Rin said optimistically. "As someone who got to take the Faux Men on a test run, I can say with confidence that it runs beautifully. Even if it can only replicate 30% of our power, that should still be enough."

Itan gazed at Sagi, and then at the Faux Men sealed inside chambers used to recharge their energy. _Yeah, we could only manage 30%. But Uragiri...he could only draw on 10% before a Faux Man is destroyed. Now that guy's a monster. And Lord Konton...he can't even enter a Faux Man for more than 30 minutes before it self-destructs._

"30% is enough, sir." Rin promised before adding with a dark gleam in his eyes. "Arrogant or not, Sagi's more than capable of ending this himself! Those losers are finished!"

 **AN: War crimes FTW...yeesh, I felt icky writing that and I knew I was kidding. Seriously, that internet slang and the term 'war crimes' should never be in the same sentence. But yeah, this is messed up. Now that Rakuen's becoming more and more involved, you can expect stuff like this to happen a bit more often, especially when Sagi's involved in some way. Seriously, you thought Rin was kidding when he said put little kids on the frontlines at the Reverie? That was just the tip of the iceberg.**

 **And now, we've got half the 5th Fleet running pissed off, with Komamura going full Post-Timeskip-Dimitri ("Kill every last one of them!").**

 **Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. See y'all next time.**


	20. Chapter 20: The Genius of Sagi

**Chapter 20: The Genius of Sagi**

Sagi's twisted voice emerged from the Faux Man he was currently using, laughing at how well his plans were proceeding at the moment. "In an ironic twist, men lower themselves to savage beasts, forgetting their own 'morals' when confronted by atrocities." Sagi chuckled darkly, sitting atop King Neptune's throne. "That itself makes a wonderful case for why morality has no place on the battlefield. If we're all going to turn into monsters when the enemy commits an atrocity, why waste your time? Better to cut out the middleman and simply go crazy and kill each other."

"It's much more beneficial that way." Sagi continued. "When you've tossed away virtue and sentiment, you hardened your heart to the actions of your enemies. And when you harden your heart, you don't allow yourself to be swayed and subsequently act stupidly. If you fail to do so and then act stupidly...then you die."

"My Lord Konton may want me to take them seriously." Sagi mused. "But why we should truly be concerned about the overly-sentimental is beyond me."

"Now then, I've just received word that the enemy has confronted our officers for this battle." Sagi noted. "They arrived sooner than I expected. I suppose rage has an added effect of boosting one's speed. Or perhaps they're just so stupid they're running without a care in the world."

"Either way, now comes part 2 of the plan." Sagi continued. "One half of the army has lost itself to rage, while the other half struggles to catch up. It is now time to cut off the sane from the insane and let the insane die frothing and screaming for vengeance."

"As for the sane...well, we'll just see how long it takes for them to follow their furious friends into the afterlife. After all, I've prepared plans that entirely hinge on who dies first."

Sagi pressed two fingers against his head. "Proceed to phase 2. Ambush Army, reveal yourselves and cut off those who are chasing after their enraged friends."

Back with the calm half of the 5th Fleet, everyone was suddenly stopped in their tracks by the sound of the ground shaking beneath them. "Now what?" Jellal Fernandes growled, frustrated at how quickly this battle had gone off the rails.

Naruto Uzumaki-the real one-immediately sensed the dark, hostile intent below. "Everyone, be on your guard! The enemy is here!"

Immediately answering, Coalition soldiers and Iron Maidens leapt from the ground. "Ambush!" Erza Scarlet yelled out in warning.

Jellal's eyes immediately widened in realization, knowing what the Coalition was trying to do. "God, they're trying to keep us from the rest of our allies." He realized, knowing that they could not be bogged down by these foes for too long. "Power through! We can't let them delay us for too long!"

Erza narrowed her eyes, immediately taking initiative. "Requip: Heaven's Wheel Armor!" Erza yelled, transforming into one of her earliest armors. One that was still, to this day, very effective at crowd control. And this was a crowd that needed to be controlled.

"Dance, my blades! Circle Sword!" A deluge of swords rained down on the Coalition, felling multiple soldiers. The Iron Maidens shrieked and charged right through, ignoring some of the swords that pierced their iron flesh.

"Umm, that's not slowing the monsters down!" Brook frantically pointed out.

"Then, hit them hard!" Jellal yelled. "You're not seriously going to let Erza do all the work, are you?"

Jellal created nine swords of light behind him. "Jiu Leixing!" He yelled, firing the nine swords at nine Iron Maidens. The swords struck the Maidens, creating explosions of light that enveloped the metallic beasts.

"Err...right." Brook nervously noted, turning his attention to an Iron Maiden bearing down on him. "I...really hope you freeze in place, Mr. Scary Monster!"

Then, much to Brook's utter disbelief, the Iron Maiden charged right past Brook, making the skeleton man's mouth drop open with an audible creak. He heard the sounds of yelling and turned to see several soldiers facing off against the same Iron Maiden.

"Umm...why did he ignore me?" Brook wondered out loud.

"Dude, isn't it obvious?" Brook turned to see Naruto leaping to his side. Naruto quickly formed a Rasengan and tossed it right into the stomach of another Iron Maiden, tearing it apart with ease. "They're predators. They're hungry!"

"Hungry?" Brook raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I don't think they're really interested in something with no meat on them whatsoever." Naruto pointed out to him.

Brook took a look at the Iron Maiden that had ignored him in favor of the people with actual meat on their bones. Time seemed to freeze as he gazed at the Iron Maiden through those eyeless sockets of his.

And then, the Soul King exploded into sheer fury. "Oh, so I'm not good enough for you, huh?!" He screamed, gripping Soul Solid tightly.

With that, Brook charged ahead, making Naruto sweat-drop at how angry he was. "Taste the wrath of my very soul!" Brook screamed in a high pitch voice that frankly should not be considered intimidating by anyone or anything. But, considering it was coming from a living skeleton...it kinda was.

Brook leapt into the air and swiftly drew Soul Solid. "Three Verse Humming!" Brook yelled, immediately bisecting the Iron Maiden right down the middle. The Iron Maiden had no time to shriek in pain as its life faded in a near instant. The skeleton man landed and rapidly sheathed his blade as the two halves of the Iron Maiden fell around him. "Soul Notch Slash!"

Brook let out a brief gasp as he felt something flicker in his extremely old soul. _What was that?_ He wondered. _For just a brief moment...I felt my soul stir. Due to my soul now imbued with the chill of the underworld itself, I rarely feel anything other than the joy of being with my crew. But this…this almost seemed like the exact opposite of the underworld's deathly chill._

 _This almost felt…_ Brook was cut off by the sound of another shriek.

Brook turned to see another Iron Maiden coming towards him. Well, actually, not towards him, but towards the soldiers behind him. Brook glared at the Iron Maiden. "Are you going to ignore me too?!" He demanded.

Brook readied Soul Solid. "Commander Fernandes!" He shouted to his superior officer. "Please, feel free to use me as you see fit against the Iron Maidens. These creatures don't seem to care about me because I'm a skeleton man! I can strike them down without them even caring about me!"

Jellal grinned at Brook's plan. "Good idea, Brook!" He complimented the musician before calling out to everyone who could hear him. "Everyone, rally around Brook!"

"Yes, rally around me, friends!" Brook yelled before giving a grin that made his skeletal face look rather terrifying. "Believe me, it's going to give me a great deal of joy to cut down a bunch of monsters who think ignoring me is a good idea!"

"Musicians. Hate. Being. Ignored!" Brook continued to declare in a hammy tone of voice, much to the discomfort of everyone close to him. At this point, people could not help but wonder what had angered Brook more: the war crimes of the Conqueror's Coalition, or being ignored by the Iron Maidens.  
To be honest, they hoped it was equal rage, because if he was more angry about being ignored by mindless monsters than the actions of men who could think and reason, then Brook was in desperate need of a reality check.

Well, thankfully his rage was useful at the moment, unlike the soldiers who had just charged ahead without a care. And so, Alliance soldiers began to deliberately lure the Iron Maidens towards Brook, who cut them all down with one swing after another. Secretly, Brook was also trying to test something in his attacks.

He was trying to replicate that strange feeling he had experienced earlier. His soul did not feel cold in that last moment of attacking. It was different. He wanted to experience it again and find out just what it was.

The hope being that if he could recreate whatever that feeling was, he would be of greater use to his crew, and to the Alliance. If what was happening on Fishman Island was any indication, Brook knew he needed to get stronger, and fast. He had to do all he could to try and prevent another tragedy like this from taking place. He knew that the rest of the 5th Fleet felt the same way (especially the ones that were screaming for vengeance).

Though Brook was doing his best to draw the attention of the Iron Maidens, the rest of the soldiers present were not allowing him to do all the work. "Giant Rasengan!" Naruto yelled, blowing several Iron Maidens away.

"Circle Sword!" Erza yelled once more, plowing into Iron Maidens and cutting them all in half.

Erza then turned her attention to several charging footsoldiers. "Requip: Lightning Empress Armor!" Erza yelled, changing armors.

Erza pointed a lance that began to crackle with electricity. "Fall." She commanded.

The footsoldiers froze in place, realizing they were about to have a very bad time. "Chain Lightning!" Erza yelled, blasting one soldier with a bolt of lightning. The lightning then connected to another soldier, and another, and another, and another, until a third of the soldiers who had ambushed this group of soldiers got the "visible skeletons" treatment as they collapsed to the ground.

Several cubes suddenly formed over the heads of a group of Iron Maidens. Hachigen Ushoda, also known as Hacchi, began snapping his fingers repeatedly. "Now, Standing Ovation!" He yelled, clapping his hands together.

The heads of the Iron Maidens fell to the ground inside of the cubes. Finally, to bring down the remaining footsoldiers. Jellal Fernandes formed a massive line of magic circles above and behind him. "Let the skies light up, and the ground burst into flames!" Jellal yelled. "Meteor Shower!"

Speedy beams of light shot right out of the magic circles and slammed into one soldier per beam of light. "M...Master Sagi said that the ambush would actually get them." A soldier groaned as he drifted into unconsciousness.

"Were we...just...cannon fodder?" Another wondered.

Jellal scowled. "Of course you were." He said. "Do you really think someone who would approve of actions like these would care about any of you?"

Jellal then addressed Naruto, Hacchi and Brook, seeing as though they were the closest people from different worlds. "You three, can I speak with you for a moment?" He asked. "The rest of you, finish cleaning up the Iron Maidens. Erza, I'm trusting you to lead this."

Erza nodded and led her allies against the remaining Maidens. "What's up, Jellal?" Naruto asked curiously.

"I want you three to level with me right now, you heard the name of the guy apparently in charge, right? Some guy named Sagi?" Jellal asked.

"Well, I don't really have ears." Brook pointed out.

"Brook, this is serious." Jellal told him.

"Er...sorry, Commander, force of habit." Brook scratched his afro in embarrassment. "Er...no, I've never heard that name before in my life. I mean, I've been a pirate longer than most thanks to the Revive Revive Fruit. I've gotten to hear about a lot of names over the years. But I've never heard the name Sagi before."

Jellal nodded and looked at Hacchi and Naruto. Hacchi shook his head with a visibly concerned expression on his face. "I'm sorry, Commander, but that name doesn't ring a bell for me either. The Arrancar have a particular...style of naming, as do the Quincy. And that name matches either styles. And as far as I know, we don't have too many traitorous Soul Reapers to deal with."

Naruto shook his head as well. "Doesn't ring a bell for me either, Jellal." He admitted. "I mean, maybe it's someone from Shinobi history, but honestly, I'm the wrong guy to ask. I...didn't really pay attention in Iruka-Sensei's history lessons that much."

Jellal sighed. "Okay, other than the possibility of there being a soldier from ancient Shinobi history-of course, we don't know that for certain because someone doesn't pay attention…"

"Hey!" Naruto took offense to that statement.

"...The point is, we don't know who this Sagi is, but apparently he's someone who has no issue with treating his own troops as bees defending the hive."

"I don't understand that analogy." Naruto muttered.

"Bees only get one sting and they die, Naruto." Jellal reminded him, rolling his eyes slightly at Naruto not being able to keep up. Then again, that seemed to be par for the course when it came to the Acts of Order...except Ichigo, probably.

"The point is," Jellal got back on track in a tone of voice that said he would tolerate no more interruptions, "we have an enemy that none of us seem familiar with. An enemy that seems to be the commanding officer of this force. You boys do realize what that means?"

Hacchi seemed to realize it. Naruto and Brook did not. Jellal took a deep breath. "Our enemy...is most likely a high-ranking soldier from Konton's kingdom, Rakuen."

Naruto immediately went pale, still remembering the awful experience that was fighting a mere fragment of Konton's consciousness inside Yugito Nii's inner world. That fragment, at best, was only using 1% of Konton's true strength, and he utterly decimated Naruto in that fight. And now they were possibly going up against a high-ranking member of Rakuen in the flesh. Yeah, he was very concerned.

Jellal was also concerned. Like the rest of the Alliance Commanders, he had read the reports on the "Treasury Infiltration Incident" back during the campaign in Fiore. How four direct subordinates of one of the Nine Dark Circles, had infiltrated as tax collectors of the kingdom (thanks to a traitorous minister) and had been extorting citizens.

When they had been discovered, they had engaged a few Stealth Division soldiers. And they would have won, had they not apparently been holding back, allowing Shanks and a few other higher-ups to arrive and help.

Just four of those Rakuen elites were strong enough to nearly bring Fiore to its knees. And if another one of those guys were here at Fishman Island-and, God forbid someone who was even higher up than those guys-then this battle had just become a lot more dangerous.

Knowing what he had to do, Jellal reached into his pocket and pulled out his portable transponder snail. "What are you doing?" Hacchi asked curiously.

"Contacting Lord Chitsujo. If none of us know who this Sagi is...then perhaps he knows." Jellal noted, quickly dialing the number for Alliance Headquarters.

Back at Dressrosa, Chitsujo raised a curious eyebrow as a transponder snail began to ring. He quickly answered. "Chitsujo here, go ahead." He said.

"Lord Chitsujo, it's Jellal." Came Jellal's voice on the other end. "I've got a quick question."

"Well, I most likely have an answer, Jellal. Let's hear it." Chitsujo replied.

"Does the name Sagi mean anything to you?" Jellal came right out and asked it.

Kisuke Urahara and the rest of the Intelligence Division Leaders, along with Monkey D. Dragon, all gazed at Chitsujo and the transponder snail in utter confusion. Of all the questions Jellal could have asked Chitsujo, that was not only the most unexpected of questions, but also the strangest. Dragon was about to take the transponder snail from Chitsujo and yell into it, scolding Jellal for wasting Chitsujo's time with such a ridiculous sounding question in the middle of a battle.

Then he saw Chitsujo's face. It had contorted into a deep frown of what seemed to be a mixture of anger and concern. "Chitsujo?" Dragon asked, concern for his leader and friend's wellbeing now.

"You're sure you heard that name?" Chitsujo asked, needing to make sure. "It was absolutely that name?"

"Y-yeah." Jellal sounded nervous now. "Should we be worried?"

"Well, I can tell you right now, no one of note is from any of your worlds." Chitsujo bluntly told him. "And I did know a Sagi once. And Jellal, listen to me, you need to be careful. If this is the same Sagi, you all need to be careful."

"...I see." Jellal muttered. "Mind explaining to me the history you two seem to have."

"The Sagi I knew was once a researcher for the Kingdom of Menou." Chitsujo explained. "He was talented, but unfortunately, his interests never lied in the benefit of the kingdom. Eventually, this particular Sagi vanished after a falling out, never to be seen again."

"Well, if it is the Sagi you once knew, then he ended up in Rakuen." Jellal pointed out. "My Lord, if I may be blunt, how do you not know where your ex-citizens ended up?"

"Because our world has three major areas." Chitsujo explained. "First, there is the territory that is the Kingdom of Menou. Then there is the territory where the Kingdom of Rakuen lies. Finally, in between both kingdoms, is the area that is simply known as The Land of No Kings, the proverbial No-Man's Land of our kingdom."

"The Land of No Kings?"

"There were plenty Watchers in our world that did not wish to live under the rule of a king. This was true long before I took the throne." Chitsujo explained. "My father did not wish to play tyrant and force people to accept his rule, so he allowed those who wished to live their own lives their own territory. Hence, the Land of No Kings came to be, where various villages and village chieftains make up the area. In other words, neither Konton, nor myself, have any jurisdiction over that area."

"And here I thought a king could do whatever he wants and get whatever he wants." Kisuke muttered.

Chitsujo shot Kisuke a frown. "There's more to being a king than just getting what you want, Kisuke?" He chided.

"Okay...and what does this have to do with Sagi?" Jellal asked curiously. "Are you saying that he vanished into the Land of No Kings?"

"We at least try to keep tabs on defectors from our own kingdom." Chitsujo replied. "Especially people who had access to important knowledge like Sagi did, as a former researcher for our R&D Department. Unfortunately, we underestimated that Sagi was bitter enough about his dismissal from the R&D Department to mask his presence with his Art: Grand Illusion and vanish from our sights."

"Wow, one guess as to what that Art does." Shikaku Nara deadpanned.

"And he put 'Grand' in the name?" Mavis Vermillion frowned. "What a narcissist."

"But still, if he ended up in Rakuen, wouldn't you have been able to ask your brother if he was there?" Jellal asked curiously. "No offense, My Lord, but I can't believe that you and your brother's relationship was always bad."

"You're right, it wasn't." Chitsujo nodded. "But...the truth is, I almost never saw my brother after he became the King of Rakuen."

"What?"

"The Kingdom of Rakuen had been founded by my own father...I think it was because he saw the qualities of a king in both of us, and so he could not bring himself to choose a successor between the two of us." Chitsujo admitted. "After Father died, I became the new King of Menou, while my brother became King of Rakuen. And as soon as he became king...things began to change, and not for the better."

"...All you had to say was that you knew the name and we would prepare to face off against a Watcher." Jellal muttered.

"The Kingdom of Rakuen immediately had a massive wall built around it." Chitsujo explained. "A wall that still stands to this day. As soon as the wall's construction was complete, all contact was cut off. I only got to speak to my brother when he came to me without warning, and that was rare. I tried to press him on why he built that wall, but he simply dodged the question. He always seemed more interested in bragging about his growing team of elite warriors. One who had set an area on fire with unquenchable blue flames. One who could level entire forests with the wave of a hand. You get the idea."

"No matter how hard I could have tried, there was no way that I was going to find out if Sagi had defected to Rakuen. And Jellal, as I've told you before, if this is the same Sagi that I knew all those years ago, then you need to be careful. That man is dangerous, whether he's behind a desk trying to design some sort of weapon, or on the battlefield causing chaos with his Grand Illusion."

"Any way to fight it?" Jellal asked.

Chitsujo sighed. "Menou citizens are granted a right to privacy regarding the strengths and weaknesses of their Arts." He explained. "That way, we are not inadvertently encouraging murderers to take advantage of those weaknesses."

"I understand. Thank you for the warning regardless, Lord Chitsujo." Jellal told him. "I need to hang up now. I can't keep my men waiting."

With that, Chitsujo heard the telltale click. He put down his transponder snail and heaved a sigh, already feeling a headache coming on. God, Sagi. That name. He had not heard that name in a millennia. Of all the times for that guy to resurface, it just had to be during the war for control over the entire universe.

Still, if Sagi was working for his brother now, that did explain the replicas of those weapons the Coalition seemed to have, like the swords the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist use. God help them all if Sagi was doing more than just forging swords for Konton though.

"Lord Chitsujo?" Chitsujo was cut from his thoughts by Benn Beckman. "Is this Sagi guy so bad that he's even got you worried?"

Chitsujo sighed. "If it is the Sagi I knew, then yeah, I'm very worried. But it at least explains a bit about the weapons the Coalition has had access to."

"I want you all to understand something, Sagi is a very dangerous individual. That was the case, even when he was just a researcher for Menou." Chitsujo explained. "It made losing track of him after he defected from Menou even more frustrating."

 _To think, my brother could have sheltered him for that long._ Chitsujo sighed inwardly. _I can't help but wonder if Sagi ended up becoming one of Konton's Dark Circles. It wouldn't surprise me. His Art is extremely dangerous. The only reason I had not sent anyone to capture him and have his memory wiped to allow a more mutually beneficial parting of ways was because his Grand Illusion's power could potentially drive a victim insane. I could not allow that, nor could I simply do it myself. Politically, me doing such to Sagi myself would get me labeled a tyrant._

"What happened?" Mavis asked.

"A falling out," Chitsujo explained, "a falling out as the result of two vastly different opinions on how people should use their talents."

Chitsujo sighed. "I'm going to make a call to Menou. I'm trusting you five to monitor the battle on Fishman Island while I'm away."

"Who are you going to call?" Kisuke asked curiously.

"I need to make sure my Saint Warriors are mobilized, just in case the worst happens." Chitsujo admitted. "I have all the faith in the world that my soldiers can beat any threat that comes towards them, but if Sagi _is_ actually on Fishman Island, then the 5th Fleet may need help."

"You really think this guy is threatening enough that the 5th Fleet would need aid from one of the Saint Warriors?" Mavis was shocked. "But weren't you concerned about one of them being present causing one of the Dark Circles to be deployed."

"Or worse, encouraging Rakuen to simply straight up invade Menou themselves, considering the sheer manpower the Saint Warriors provide." Shikaku added.

"I know, and I'm still concerned about that." Chitsujo admitted. "If the situation demands the presence of a Saint Warrior, just so we're clear, I'll be leaving Dressrosa for Menou. I may be the leader of this Alliance...but I am still King of Menou."

"No matter what happens, I refuse to leave my kingdom and my people vulnerable." Chitsujo firmly told them.

"Hey, no worries, boss man." Kisuke grinned. "You know you can trust us to handle things while you are away. You were the one who put us in these positions, after all."

Nodding in agreement, Chitsujo left the Dressrosa war room to make a call…

"Sagi, huh?" Yasashi frowned slightly at the mention of that name, speaking into what appeared to be a sort of crystal ball, similar to a lacrima. Chitsujo's face was inside of it. "Yeah, I remember that name. Wasn't he one of the speculated identities of the Nine Dark Circles?"

"That's correct." Chitsujo nodded. "You, Majime and Kanja had only just become members of the Saint Warriors during his tenure as a top researcher."

Yasashi sighed, rubbing his temples. "Your Majesty," he said to his king, "you do realize how serious the situation has become if Sagi is there, correct? As one of the speculated identities of the Dark Circles, he is without a doubt one of the most dangerous beings in the entire universe right now."

"I know, the Nine Dark Circles are without a doubt a very secretive group of soldiers. All we've ever had to go on were the identities of dangerous criminals who had defected from Menou at various points, or faceless individuals my brother used to brag about before the war." Chitsujo noted.

"But to be honest, I'm still rather hesitant to send one of you to Fishman Island." Chitsujo admitted. "This could very well be a trap."

"Mmm, your brother's smart though, he knows that if you send one of us, you'll return to Menou to shore up our defenses." Yasashi pointed out. "Either everyone's in on some grand bluff, or there's more to this situation than we think."

"Personally, I think it's the latter." Chitsujo admitted. "That's why we're going to continue monitoring the situation before we jump the gun. Tell me something though, Yasashi, who among you do you think can fight Sagi's Grand Illusion?"

Yasashi thought that question over. "The safest bet would be Hakuai. Considering the nature of his Art, I don't doubt he has some sort of ability within his repertoire that can counter Sagi's illusory abilities." He noted before his face fell. "Though...if Kyoko were still here, she would insist on going herself, advantages or disadvantages be damned."

Chitsujo grimaced at the mention of the deceased leader of the Saint Warriors...and his dear friend. "Kyoko...is gone though." Chitsujo had to push past that pain though, to keep the war effort moving. "I'm...afraid we can't allow ourselves to be too caught up in how she would have done things."

 _God, I sound so much like Sagi now._ Chitsujo thought, disgusted with himself. _I wonder if part of the reason my brother despises me so much is because he sees how much of a hypocrite I can truly be in stressful times like these._

"Indeed, she's gone...the responsibility to make sure the Saint Warriors carry out their duties lies with me now." Yasashi grimly noted.

Chitsujo sighed. "So, Hakuai shall be who we send should the worst happen." He decided. "He's arguably the best choice, but not at the same time. Menou will be without its finest doctor if he has to go."

"If you are uncomfortable separating him from the kingdom, Your Majesty, Jun and Setsudo are decent choices as well. Both have high mental resistance to mental attacks like illusions."

"That may be true, but Setsudo lacks the offensive power to fight back. He is purely a defender by nature." Chitsujo noted. "And I've read the reports on Jun, she's talented, but she's still struggling with her place on the team due to her own lack of self-confidence."

"Please don't be angry at her over that, Your Majesty. Jun means well, she just needs to be a bit more confident in herself."

"I'm not angry over that, we all have our own personal struggles to overcome." Chitsujo noted. "And, if Jun is struggling with confidence issues, perhaps sending her to deal with this problem should the worst happen would be a great way to help her with her problem."

"Perhaps, Your Majesty, but if Jun can't handle such a thing, you may only make it worse." Yasashi sighed. "We can't just throw someone who's at 'level 2'-so to speak-right into the proverbial 'level 10.'"

"Agreed," Chitsujo sighed, "well, I just wanted to update you on the current situation. Yasashi, I trust you to make the right call on who to send should it come to that."

"Please keep me updated on the matter, Your Majesty. As acting leader of the Saint Warriors, discovering the actual identities of our rival group would go a long way for my team and me." Yasashi told him.

"Of course," Chitsujo nodded, cutting communications with Yasashi.

Yasashi heaved another tired sigh. God, he could actually feel his lifespan being shaved off from all this stress. How in the world did Kyoko manage to deal with it all while she was alive?

"Kyoko," Yasashi muttered, "if only you were still here. You'd be able to motivate Jun far better than I could. And you'd know exactly what to say to help His Majesty deal with the pain he's in."

Back at Fishman Island, Shinji Hirako frowned slightly at the new information he was just given. "Sagi, huh? And this guy could possibly be a particularly dangerous enemy?" He asked into a transponder snail.

"A Watcher, apparently," came Jellal's voice from the other hand. "And apparently, a Watcher who's strong enough to concern Lord Chitsujo. Be on your guard, Shinji."

"Well, if I'm being honest, I already hate the guy, especially if he's the one who okayed everything that happened to Fishman Island." Shinji admitted. "But, if he is some illusionist, I especially hate the guy."

"That...sounds rather petty, Shinji."

"Illusions and me never mixed well, J." Shinji told him. "Long story."

With that, Shinji immediately hung up on Jellal and turned his attention on a massive army of Iron Maidens and Coalition soldiers. "Speaking of illusions." He mused. "Time to wipe these guys out and move forward in the best way I know how."

Shinji looked over his shoulder at all his soldiers. "You all stay back." He ordered. "I'm going to end this in one shot."

Shinji began twirling his Zanpakuto, gazing at the Coalition soldiers and Iron Maidens with hate in his eyes, remembering the faces of all those innocent civilians that had been tossed into those poisonous black pools. What exactly was it with these folks that made them think playing with people's lives like that was okay? Shinji had been a victim of a guy who liked playing God with people's lives. So, he had every intent on punishing those who did the same.

"Collapse," Shinji chanted with a dead tone of voice, "Sakanade."

Shinji's Zanpakuto transformed into its Shikai. The enemy soldiers all stopped in their tracks in fear when they noticed something strange happening to their surroundings. They all watched as their vision was distorted to around them. Up was down. Left was right. It was simply terrifying.

Then, Shinji sped right through them all with Flash Step, sending the soldiers and Iron Maidens flying into the air, one by one. The Captain of Squad 5 and the Proxy Commander of the 5th Fleet was not playing around right now.

Meanwhile, Danzo Shimura was cracking his neck as he prepared to fight back against the infuriated Sajin Komamura. "Now, tell me, beast, would you prefer I break you with Genjutsu or Ninjutsu?" He asked.

Komamura ignored Danzo's incessant taunting and simply focused on attacking him. "Tenken!" He roared, swinging down a giant, spectral arm towards Danzo.

"Teleportation Jutsu." Danzo immediately vanished from the spot Komamura destroyed with Tenken's spectral arm.

Danzo's two guards, Fu Yamanaka and Torune Aburame, watched as Danzo reappeared behind Komamura. He quickly began to unseal his seemingly crippled arm, revealing many red eyes. "This beast man truly is living proof that emotions are a poison for true warriors." Torune noted.

"Indeed, Lord Danzo will win this fight quite handily." Fu nodded.

Danzo calmly sped through a few hand signs. He then took a deep breath. "Fire Style: Burning Forest." Danzo exhaled a tremendous amount of fire that threatened to engulf the massive body of Komamura.

Komamura spun around, gazing at the wall of flame with a wild look in his eyes before he was engulfed completely. "A direct hit." Torune noted.

"Indeed, he had no chance of avoiding that attack." Fu added.

Danzo narrowed his eyes. He knew that such a thing would not kill a beast like that. No, there would be more to it than that. "How will you respond, beast?" Danzo wondered to himself. "Will you prove to me that you are worthy of the title Soul Reaper?"

Komamura leapt from the flames with a furious glare. "Die!" Komamura yelled.

"Wind Style," a few hand signs later, Danzo had already countered, "Vacuum Blast."

Komamura was pushed back by several wind blades that ripped into his furry body. The Squad 7 Captain then saw Danzo's seemingly crippled arm, unsealed in all of its glory. "That arm," he muttered, "what in the world have you done to yourself?"

"You seem well acquainted with Naruto Uzumaki, so you tell me." Danzo responded. "Even if you weren't acquainted with the Nine Tails Jinchuriki, you should know about these eyes by now."

Komamura gazed closely at the eyes on Danzo's arm and his eyes went wide. "You monster." He muttered. "Have you no respect for the dead?"

Back on Danzo's arm were indeed Sharingan, and many in number. "Respect for the dead? What use is that? What use is respecting the dead when that involves wasting the potential of the Sharingan. It's no one's fault but the Uchiha's that they selfishly wasted their potential in favor of their own desires for power."

Says the man who has selfishly manipulated so many events, causing the death and suffering of so many innocent people, just so that he could become Hokage.

"I would be foolish to let the power of the Sharingan go to waste." Danzo explained, attempting to justify the sick experiments he had performed on himself for more power. "A beast like you, who's only purpose in life is to answer a master, you will never understand what is necessary for the sake of the future."

"I am the Captain of Squad 7, do you think I don't understand the things that must be done for the future at times!" Komamura yelled, charging Danzo.

"Your recklessness will be the death of you. Or rather, your compassion for the Fishmen will be the death of you." Danzo chided Komamura. "Wind Style: Vacuum Blast."

Komamura was lacerated by the wind blades once more, pushing him backwards. "Damn you." Komamura growled. "Tenken!"

Danzo looked off to the side to see that giant spectral arm coming towards him again with the massive blade in hand. "When will you learn that won't work?" Danzo muttered. "Teleportation Jutsu."

Komamura howled in anger as Danzo vanished once more. "Earth Style," Danzo appeared behind Komamura, "Sand Trap Jutsu."

The ground suddenly softened underneath Komamura as the Squad 7 Captain quickly sank into the ground due to his incredible weight. Danzo brandished a kunai once more. "Wind Style: Vacuum Blade!" Danzo formed a blade of wind.

Danzo sped towards Komamura, raising the kunai to behead Komamura.

Komamura roared as he ripped himself from the ground, freeing himself from Danzo's Sand Trap Jutsu. Komamura held up a gauntlet on his arm and blocked Danzo's Vacuum Blade, surprising Danzo. Fu and Torune instinctively sped to the sides of Komamura to protect Danzo.

"Tenken!" Komamura created the arm once more.

Danzo's eyes widened before being launched by the giant blade. He grunted as the blade was driven into his stomach. He was slammed into a giant rock. Fu and Torune's eyes widened in horror at seeing Danzo injured.

Both men attempted to attack Komamura, only for Fu to be punched away by a powerful haymaker from the Squad 7 Captain. Torune was then subsequently forced to retreat when Komamura turned Tenken on him.

Komamura then turned to Danzo's body, only to see it suddenly vanish. "It appears with age, I've become a bit too impatient." Komamura's eyes widened when he heard Danzo's voice. He turned to see Danzo standing off to the side with a calm expression on his face. "But, I suppose impatience is to be expected when you only have as long to live as I do."

"How are you alive?" Komamura furiously growled.

Danzo remained emotionless and expressionless, but Komamura could tell that he desperately wanted to mock him for the situation they were in. "A true Shinobi does not simply reveal his secrets."

"Now, Wind Style," Danzo went back on the offensive, "Vacuum Bullets."

Danzo breathed out multiple air bullets that shot towards Komamura. Komamura crossed his arms in front of his face as he was pierced by the air bullets. Danzo then brandished several shuriken. "Wind Style," he said, blowing air into the shuriken, creating massive wind shurikens that he proceeded to toss at Komamura, "Vacuum Shuriken!"

Komamura recovered from Danzo's Vacuum Bullets to see the Vacuum Shuriken coming towards him. "Tenken!" He yelled, swinging the giant arm that knocked the shuriken away.

"Teleportation Jutsu." Danzo vanished and calmly reappeared behind Komamura.

This time, Komamura was ready. He spun around and grabbed Danzo by the head. His massive paw fit all the way over it. Growling angrily, he tightened his grip and felt Danzo's head pop in his grip.

Fu and Torune almost leapt towards Komamura at what he had done to their master, only to remind themselves to a) not show emotion, and b) that Danzo was going to be just fine. "Oh dear," Komamura's eyes widened as Danzo's body vanished, the Shinobi of Darkness was standing off to the side, "I let you kill me twice."

"Twice?" Komamura muttered.

 _So I did kill him, but how is he still here?_

Danzo sighed, briefly gazing at his Sharingan-arm before sighing. "I will have to ask Sagi to replenish my supply when this is over."

"To think, in spite of your rage, you've actually managed to get the best of me twice." Danzo mused. "What a waste. If I could just turn you into one of my soldiers, I could make you invincible."

"And at what cost would that be?" Komamura demanded. "My individuality? My morality?"

"Shinobi, Soul Reapers, Marines, Wizards, we are all nothing but tools that are meant to be used by a master." Danzo explained. "Individuality is weakness."

"That's so easy to espouse when you're striving to be the master of those tools." Komamura growled. "You wouldn't be spouting such nonsense if you were underneath someone's heel. Then again, considering you're just another one of Konton's puppets, maybe I underestimated your principles."

Danzo shook his head. "Do you think I have not paid my dues as a tool of the village?" He inquired. "I have earned my right to lead the Leaf on the path I see fit. I have survived four of the five Shinobi World Wars."

"And yet rather than reward those who pay their dues, you intend to make sure your reign lasts forever." Komamura accused. "You can claim it's for the Leaf all you want, but you're nothing but a self-serving hypocrite whose only goal is to elevate himself."

"By elevating myself, the Leaf and the world benefits." Danzo declared. "Do you think me arrogant to have such a belief? I speak from experience!"

"Ever since the 1st Hokage, the Leaf has espoused the belief known as the Will of Fire. The love and loyalty for the village and our comrades. However, the beliefs that Hashirama Senju passed onto his brother, the 2nd Hokage, their pupil, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the 3rd Hokage, and the Yellow Flash of the Leaf, Minato Namikaze, the 4th Hokage, only weakened the village in the long-run."

"What?" Komamura growled.

"Shinobi thrive in darkness." Danzo claimed. "But the Will of Fire brings Shinobi into the light, with the intent of it eventually enveloping the entire Shinobi World."

"And it's an admirable belief." Komamura cut in.

"No, it is nothing more than a foolish ideal espoused by great and powerful men who wasted their lives." Danzo furiously glared at Komamura for that statement. "Hashirama Senju could have conquered the world with his power, but he instead chose to seek fellowship with the other Shinobi. He thought we could understand each other. However, all he did was allow poisonous ideals to fester that nearly destroyed our villages on so many occasions."

"How many wars could have been avoided had Hashirama Senju simply conquered the world rather than try to bring it together in a peaceful harmony between five vastly different powers?" Danzo inquired. "I tell you this, all five could have been avoided. Ironic as it may sound, peace can only be achieved through conquest.

"The Will of Fire doomed my world when it made us all think that Shinobi could live and cooperate within the light. I will fix all of this. Wipe the slate clean. I will return Shinobi to the darkness. Create a world ruled from the dark that will never have its peace threatened. Because anyone who dares disrupt that peace, will be stricken down from the shadows."

"A damn tyranny." Komamura growled.

"A peaceful tyranny." Danzo corrected. "Those who love freedom more than peace have no right to lead the world into a peaceful era."

Komamura narrowed his eyes, thinking back to something Naruto had told him back in Fiore. _"I guess after meeting Konton, I'm starting to realize that mine and Pervy Sage's dream is far more difficult to reach than I originally thought. Heh, I've gotten so used to being able to understand my enemies because we all suffer some sort of pain in our lives. A pain that drives us down a dark path. I guess I never really considered that some people are just pure evil...like Konton."_

" _But you know something?"_ Naruto had then smiled. _"I don't intend to give up on that dream...it's still such a wonderful dream to strive for. And for the sake of everyone who's suffered that pain...I refuse to give up on it."_

"It's unbelievable." Komamura muttered.

"What is?" Danzo frowned.

"How is it possible that two men who came from the same village could end up with such different ideals?" Komamura wondered. "The contrast is simply...unbelievable."

"Do you refer to Naruto Uzumaki?" Danzo inquired.

Komamura nodded. "You know, I can go all day about how wrong you are and how right he is, but I can tell it'd just be talking to a damn brick wall." Komamura admitted. "So let me just say...that I cannot and will not accept that your method is the path to peace."

"Perhaps I shouldn't feel this way about people for the way they treated me in the past, but I have faith in their potential for good." Komamura claimed. "I will not lose to a man who lacks that faith!"

"Bankai!" Komamura screamed. "Kokujo Tengen Myo'o!"

Danzo watched in surprise as a giant suit of armor formed behind Komamura. "So this is Bankai." Danzo mused before a small smile curled. "Splendid. If this is what Bankai can do, then I must make sure to bring at least one or two Soul Reapers into the Foundation."

"Die!" Komamura yelled, swinging his arm forward and swinging the massive blade of Kokujo Tengen Myo'o straight into the ground, smashing Danzo into a bloody paste.

Komamura narrowed his eyes, sensing for Danzo's life force before frowning. "Don't bother skulking about." He demanded. "I know that you survived that...or rather, you died and then came back."

"It appears you are adapting." Danzo noted, reappearing on a rock near Komamura.

Komamura growled at Danzo's condescending tone of voice. God, everything about this old man was simply infuriating. He then noticed three slits on Danzo's arms. They looked like closed eyes.

At that moment, the gears in Komamura's head started to turn. "Your Sharingan!" He realized. "That is how you are cheating death."

Danzo nodded. "Impressive," he acknowledged, "Indeed, the Sharingan possess the ability to conquer death."

 _And with Senju cells infused in my body, my lifespan has also been drastically increased._ Danzo added inwardly. _Another power wasted on that drunk whore of a woman, Tsunade._

"It is like I had told you earlier." Danzo continued. "The power the Uchiha had was wasted on them. They could have done great things for the village, but instead they wasted it on their own selfish ambitions. I am simply making sure their power does not go to waste."

"By disrespecting the dead!" Komamura accused. "How low can you possibly sink?"

"I am the roots that grow in the darkness. There is no depth I am not willing to sink for the sake of the village." Danzo calmly replied.

Komamura gazed at Danzo's arm, silently counting the amount of Sharingan on it. "I'll kill you as many times as I need to. I won't let your evil spread any further!" Komamura declared.

"No, it is you who will no longer be continuing." Danzo shook his head. "It is time I show you...a strength that even I thought was out of my reach."

At that moment, the remaining eyes on Danzo's arm began to change shape. Komamura's eyes widened, immediately realizing that something bad was happening. "Thanks to that Sagi, I have achieved the next level of the Sharingan several times over."

" _To reach the Mangekyo Sharingan, you must take the life of your best friend."_ Sagi had explained. _"But the question now is, would simulating such a thing suffice? Could I recreate the experience and then give you the actual trauma of killing your best friend?"_

 _He did,_ Danzo acknowledged inwardly, _I had to kill Hiruzen so many times in order to achieve this power. I lost track. I suppose there is no way to avoid it. Hiruzen, you are truly my dearest friend, even if our paths diverged._

 _I hope you know that this strength was only made possible through our friendship. I hope you know that I'm grateful. And I hope you know that when our paths inevitably cross in this war, I will make your death quick and painless, a final favor from an old friend._

"It is too late for you now, beast. Consider this the whip." Danzo told Komamura, brandishing his arm the armored giant prepping another mighty attack. "Amaterasu!"

Several eyes on Danzo's arm began to bleed. At that moment, Kokujo Tengen Myo'o was enveloped in the mighty black flames of Amaterasu. Komamura screamed in pain from the psychic link shared with the armored giant. Right now, he was feeling the intense flames of Amaterasu.

Danzo raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Interesting, so you share pain with your Bankai." He noted before nodding in understanding. "Yes, that makes sense, there has to be some way you were supplying power to such a behemoth."

Danzo sighed. "How pitiful. I had such high hopes from your Bankai based on its appearance alone, but in the end, you were nothing more than a pitiful imitation of the ability to control a Tailed Beast."

"I suppose I'll have to move on and find a different Soul Reaper to take control of, one with a far more impressive Banaki." Danzo noted. "You are worthless."

The flames did not let up. Komamura continued to scream in pain. At that moment, his senses started to return and the Squad 7 Captain began to realize how badly he had screwed up. _I let my anger get the best of me. I charged ahead and I fought alone when I'm stronger with friends._

 _Naruto...Tetsuzaemon...Commander Fernandes...I'm so sorry._

As Komamura was continuously blasted by the scalding, burning sensation of Amaterasu, Jozu found himself struggling not to weep as he was used to hurt his allies once more. It almost seemed like a cruel sick joke at this point. How Jozu was constantly being taken control of by someone with the ability to play another like a marionette.

"Get away!" Jozu screamed, visibly restraining himself from breaking down and crying now as he threw punches at his own allies, who were frantically trying to escape from him. "Get away from me!"

What Jozu desperately wanted to scream was for someone to simply come and kill him. But he knew he was probably asking for way too much in doing so. Jozu was still one of the Division Commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates, one of the strongest pirates in the entire world. There were only so many people who _could_ kill him if the situation demanded it.

Needless to say, not a single person currently present was among those who could kill him…

As Jozu continued his unwilling rampage, screaming for it all to stop, Seilah simply pouted as she directed his movements with Macro. "This...isn't as fun as it usually is." She mused. "How odd. Playing with humans has never not been fun."

Seilah looked over her shoulder. "Any thoughts, Lady Kyoka?" She inquired.

"What's that, Seilah?" Kyoka inquired, off doing her own thing.

"I'm actually not enjoying myself now." Seilah frowned. "Is there something wrong with me? I always loved playing with humans. They're so fragile and weak. Playing with them and breaking them is just so much fun. I just don't understand why that's suddenly changed."

Kyoka raised a curious eyebrow at Seilah's dilemma. Knowing how highly Seilah thought of her, Kyoka knew she could not simply brush off Seilah's concern over this. After all, this was clearly a problem for her.

"Well, perhaps it's just gotten boring for you?" Kyoka suggested. "After all, humans are so fragile. There has got to come a point where breaking glass becomes so easy it's boring, right?"

"...I guess that makes sense." Seilah acknowledged. "If that's the case, what should I do instead, Lady Kyoka?"

Kyoka thought that over. "That's a tough question." She admitted. "I mean, if breaking them has become too easy and therefore boring, then the next logical step is to deliberately let the glass try to keep itself from breaking...so to speak."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that the next logical step would be to let go of Diamond Jozu and allow him to fight you." Kyoka noted. "But we both know that's out of the question. If we did something like that and it costs us the victory, our leaders would be furious with us. I don't think Lord Mard Geer would actually allowed us to be revived by Hell's Core at that point."

"That would be bad." Seilah acknowledged. "So, if I can't let them fight me and just torturing them isn't fun, what's the solution?"

Kyoka thought it over. "You could always just kill them." She suggested. "Lord Mard Geer doesn't approve of playing with lesser life forms after all. Maybe you'll find joy in just taking the enemy's life and then moving onto the next one?"

"That...sounds too simple though." Seilah frowned. "It can't be that simple, Lady Kyoka."

Kyoka sighed. "You asked me for ideas, Seilah. I'm trying to give you ideas.

"I know, I'm sorry for sounding ungrateful, Lady Kyoka." Seilah said submissively. "This is just...such a new feeling for me.

Kyoka sighed, now more curious about Seilah's new issues than her own duties to the Coalition. "I know, I know." She said. "Look, why don't we take some time to figure it out after we're done here? We'll get you the answers you're looking for."

Seilah grumbled slightly, still uncertain. Kyoka sighed again. "You trust me, don't you, Seilah?" Kyoka asked.

"Of course I do, Lady Kyoka." Seilah assured her. "You are very important to me, after all. You were the first Etherious I met when I was first awoken. You were the first Etherious to acknowledge my talents. You were the first in all of Tartaros to acknowledge me. So, of course I trust you."

Kyoka smiled and nodded. "Atta girl," she said, "and never forget that I acknowledged you for good reason. Because I saw your talents and potential to do truly amazing things for Tartaros and for Lord Zeref."

Seilah nodded back. She then turned to Jozu. "Stop, Diamond-Guy." She ordered.

Jozu froze in place. "Turn around, let me see your face." Seilah ordered.

Jozu turned around and glared at Seilah, clearly despising every fiber of her being because of what she had been forcing him to do. Seilah pouted. "Now, now, none of that nonsense." She angrily told him. "I'm your master right now. Don't forget that. And I absolutely hate seeing my little slaves frown. Now, as your master, I hereby command you to give me a smile."

Jozu's eyes widened as he was forced to smile. His smile could not possibly look more forced than it did right now. However, it was acceptable to Seilah, who smiled happily at Jozu. "Very good, very good." She said. "Now that's the kind of smile I want to see."

"First, I just want you to know, I'm very sorry to torture you like this, making you attack your friends and what not." Seilah told Jozu, clearly not meaning it. Or rather, she meant it, but she was so twisted it did not come across as sincere at all. "Honestly, I had hoped that this would be a rather entertaining experience. But the truth is, it wasn't entertaining at all. In fact, it was very, very boring."

"Look, you're a pirate, right?" Seilah asked curiously. "So you get it. I mean, you guys hold people's lives in your hand all the time, right?"

"Some of us do, but we're nothing like you!" Jozu spat. "Pops wanted us to just live free and happy lives! We never had any interest in pillaging! We just wanted somewhere we could belong!"

"Oh? Is that right?" Seilah seemed genuinely interested in that. "You know, it's funny you should mention that. We've always been looking for where we belong too. After all, we're Etherious. We're a minority who only exists because of the efforts of a single wizard. So, from the very beginning, we've been looking for where we belong since the beginning."

"It really is quite the conundrum, isn't it?" Seilah mused. "In our story, we're already the superior characters, and yet we constantly find ourselves struggling with just what exactly our purpose in life is. Isn't that strange?"

Jozu desperately tried to glare at Seilah for her incessant personality, only to find that due to Seilah's original command to smile, that he could not. Seilah sighed. "And now, this little existential crisis of mine has come back to the forefront. What an odd thing to happen. Now, of all times. War seems like such an inopportune moment to have something of an existential crisis. It's actually kind of selfish, really."

"But, what can you do? It's really hard to fight when you find yourself questioning how you're supposed to enjoy your life and purpose when it no longer seems enjoyable." Seilah mused.

Seilah then laughed, realizing the tangent she was going off on. "Oh dear, I really did kinda go too far in that tangent, didn't I?" She noted. "Sorry about that. Truth be told, I've always been a very curious person when it came to the world around me. Guess that's why I read so many books."

"Anyway, here's the deal, you're going to help me find my joy once more in what I do." Seilah told Jozu. "You're okay with that right?"

"Not really." Jozu growled, still unable to glare at Seilah with the hate he wanted to truly share with her.

Seilah laughed. "Okay, okay, I guess that's understandable." She admitted. "Now then, let us begin. By the power of my Macro, I command you to kill yourself. Let's see if just bringing death and not playing around will give me the joy in my duties that I've sorely been lacking lately."

"Kill...myself?" Jozu repeated.

"Yep," Seilah nodded, "and since you don't seem to have any blades to drive into your body and make it easy, I guess we're going to have to do this the messiest way possible."

Seilah snapped her fingers. "Okay, Mister, do me a big favor and choke yourself to death, got it?"

Jozu's eyes widened as he reached up and grabbed himself by the throat. He gasped out one final breath as he began choking himself.

Kyoka watched as Seilah began her execution of Jozu and nodded in satisfaction. She did not know why Seilah was currently experiencing this odd existential crisis, but she knew she had to nip it in the bud. Etherious only had one role. To destroy as much as possible.

"Hey bitch, we're not done yet."

And speaking of destroying things, Kyoka had something she really needed to wrap up. She rolled her eyes and glared at Abdullah and Jeet, who were heavily injured from her tortures. Those two were getting up, all the same.

"You two are just going to keep this up until the bitter end, huh?" Kyoka mused.

"Of course we're not going to give up." Abdullah claimed.

"We're...members of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet. We won't lose. We'll keep fighting until the bitter end, until we've beaten you."

Kyoka heaved a sigh. "You know, I used to be so confused when I saw how determined humans were to survive and fight, regardless of the cost." She admitted. "But, I did actually recently find the answer, you know."

"It's because of how fragile your lives actually are." She noted. "You know how little time you have, compared to most races. So you devote yourselves to becoming the best versions of yourselves you can possibly be."

Kyoka chuckled. "But you know what the sad thing is?" She continued. "No matter how hard humans work, they can never hope to surpass the Etherious. You kill us, and we just come back. The Etherious are eternal creatures. With every failure, we evolve and become something even greater. You humans climb your way to the pinnacle of your potential, while we simply evolve continuously. And we have the luxury of doing so because we are eternal."

"You say that, and yet our boss was able to evolve to the point where he could beat the crap out of your boss." Jeet defiantly pointed out to Kyoka.

Kyoka's face contorted into a look of rage. "You damn filth!" She snapped, extending her avian claws towards both Jeet and Abdullah.

Jeet and Abdullah screamed as they were struck by the claws, feeling Kyoka's Enhancement Curse attacking their sensations. "You damn humans have your head in the clouds!" She screamed. "Who do you think you're dealing with?"

"I am your superior, you pieces of garbage!" Kyoka shrieked before retracting her claws and allowing Jeet and Abdullah fall.

"I've clearly played with you too much." Kyoka muttered, frustrated with herself. "Damn, I really do have to break that habit, or I'm going to anger Lord Mard Geer again."

"Seilah!" Kyoka called out. "Let's finish this up quickly and move onto someone else. We've played with these humans way too much."

The response Kyoka received was a yelp of surprise and pain. Kyoka raised her eyebrows at that. "Seilah?"

Kyoka looked over her shoulder and saw that Seilah had been knocked to the side by...something.

"Seilah!" Kyoka yelled in concern. "Damn it, did you let your guard down?"

Kyoka's eyes then widened as a massive, spiked object slammed into the back of her head. "Ack!" She yelled in surprise.

 _An ambush?_ Kyoka was in disbelief. _How...how did we get ambushed._

"The hero has arrived!" A grandiose voice above Kyoka pulled back a giant spiked ball and chain.

Kyoka groaned before looking up to see a fat grinning man dressed in the garbs of a Soul Reaper. "Marechiyo Omaeda, Lieutenant of Squad 2, has arrived!" Omaeda announced his presence to his foes.

 **A.N: You know the situation is bad when you get a heroic moment from Omaeda, of all people. And then there's the fact that Danzo is still as dangerous as always. Funny thing, I actually really struggle to write Danzo because of how much I despise him. I get that he's, at best, a well-intentioned extremist, but my God he is the worst.**


	21. Chapter 21:Even if I Have to Crawl

**Chapter 21: Even if I Have to Crawl**

Across Fishman Island, the situation only began to grow worse. Ulquiorra Cifer had his usual impassive expression on his face as he withdrew his hand from the stomach of Bipolar Jugo. Jugo's eyes were wide with pain. His mouth open in a silent scream as blood dripped onto the ground in front of him. Jugo's cursed transformation began to revert as his body began swaying back and forth.

Ulquiorra calmly whipped his hand about, getting the blood off it. "You're no challenge." He said simply. "A shame really. You were so enraged by what you saw, that you never even noticed just how unmatched you were against me."

Jugo then threw a punch right at Ulquiorra's face, catching the 4th Espada off guard. Ulquiorra's eyes widened slightly as his fist collided with his cheek. "Oh?" He muttered in slight surprise. "You...still have some fight left in you."

"Can't give up yet...have to...do some good with this cursed power...for all my friends who accepted me in spite of it." Jugo muttered weakly.

Ulquiorra removed Jugo's fist from his face. That punch was so weak, he did not feel any need to flinch whatsoever. "So, you fight for your friends." Ulquiorra mused. "I see. I suppose that makes sense. You Alliance soldiers...that seems to be the norm with you, isn't it? The ones who fight for selfish reasons...are the minority."

"That means," Ulquiorra continued, "that your heart belongs to your friends. How...mysterious. I'm honestly still rather confused about the heart. Your heart is shared with your beloved comrades...and yet the heart also clearly causes you pain if it gives you the foolhardy courage to face me in battle."

"Of course, I have no interest in judging people for their heart any longer." Ulquiorra admitted. "Now, I simply wish to learn the secrets of the heart. I died just as I was beginning to grasp just what the heart truly was. Now, I want to know more."

Ulquiorra then backended Jugo across the plains. The human experiment finally lost consciousness from that final blow. Ulquiorra frowned. "Damn," he muttered, "I guess I put too much in that slap. Is my curiosity making me careless? Is this...from my desire for a heart?"

Ulquiorra gazed at Jugo, remembering how he had been in a berserker-like state throughout the fight. "Did his heart do that to him?" Ulquiorra wondered. "Many would call such rage righteous...I'm well aware that the actions that Sagi ordered would be condemned by most."

"But his heart...did his heart turn him into that berserker? It appears his power is directly correlated with his rage, after all." Ulquiorra noted. "Hmm, now that I think of it, Ichigo Kurosaki's power was directly tied in with his emotions...and therefore his heart. That Hollow transformation came from his desire to protect that woman, after all."

"And from what I saw...the woman's power was derived from her own emotion. She charged in with every intention of healing Ichigo Kurosaki after I blasted a hole through his chest...but relented and became powerless after I told her it was useless." Ulquiorra continued. "Yes...the heart is indeed tied in with power."

Ulquiorra took another look at Jugo and sighed. "A shame," he muttered, "I would've liked to have talked to him more about his power, and how it's tied in with his emotions and by extension his heart."

"Then again," Ulquiorra continued with another sigh, "considering his berserker state...I seriously doubt he would've been able to give me a straight answer. Damn, another failed endeavor in unlocking the mysteries of the heart."

"Electro Fang!" Ulquiorra was suddenly cut off guard by a slash to the chest and a powerful electrocution.

"Oh?" Ulquiorra raised his eyebrows in surprise.

Wanda of the Mink Tribe had moved behind Ulquiorra, glaring at the Espada over her shoulder. "How dare you do that to Jugo?" She demanded. "Your opponent is me now! I'm going to make you pay!"

"A woman of strong passion, I see." Ulquiorra shrugged off the electrocution with ease, turning around to face Wanda. "Perhaps...I can find the answers to my questions from you?"

Wanda then noticed how Ulquiorra's chest was completely unharmed. Her sword had not even scratched him. _That wasn't Haki,_ she realized, _the dossiers the Alliance provided the tribe before we joined the fight mentioned similar types of armor. Hierro maybe?_

Ulquiorra then looked over Wanda, noting her appearance. "Ah, you must be a member of that Mink Tribe that resides in the New World." He immediately realized.

"I see you're well-informed." Wanda growled.

"It is foolish not to be." Ulquiorra reminded Wanda. "Those who are caught lacking in knowledge are doomed to die in battle."

"If you're aware of the Mink Tribe, then I'm sure you're aware of what happened to us earlier." Wanda noted.

Ulquiorra nodded. "Jack the Drought...truly a brutal man." He mused. "A shame that Kaido proved to be difficult to negotiate with. The Beasts Pirates' presence would've been welcome to the Coalition's cause."

"I must admit, I'm surprised the Mink Tribe got right back up from such brutality to fight once more. There is no shame in licking your wounds and staying out of battle for awhile." Ulquiorra told Wanda.

"Like hell the Minks will stay down for long!" Wanda declared. "We have a debt to pay, and we always pay our debts. Especially for our friends."

Ulquiorra nodded in interest. Yes, this woman of passion would definitely give him plenty of insights into the heart. "Do you want to know why Jack tortured us so? It was because we would not give up the location of a friend!" Wanda declared. "Even if it means our very destruction, the Minks would never sell out a friend!"

"I see." Ulquiorra nodded again, growing genuinely interested in the thought process of Wanda, and by extension, the Mink Tribe.

"It's the same with the Alliance. They helped us...so we'll help them!" Wanda declared.

Ulquiorra nodded in understanding. "I see," he said, "that must be what your heart is telling you, yes? Intriguing…"

"Electro Fang!" Wanda interrupted Ulquiorra with a slash across the chest.

Ulquiorra heaved a sigh as the blade passed across his skin but failed to make a single dent in his body. His Hierro was way too tough for a Mink to ever hope to cut through. "Still, there is more to the heart than just passion and a desire to help your friends. There are harmful emotions as well. And even emotions for self preservation."

"Tell me, Mink girl, where is your sense of self-preservation?" Ulquiorra inquired curiously. "You can't seriously tell me that everything else is outweighing your sense of self-preservation."

"Like you care!" Wanda yelled.

"It's not necessarily whether I care or not." Ulquiorra admitted. "I am simply curious about the heart. Nothing more, nothing less."

"You need to understand, we are called Hollows for a reason." Ulquiorra explained. "We are creatures of emptiness. Regardless of the emotions that the other Arrancar like to show off, we are as empty as can be. And we are all trying so hard to fill the void."

"That's no way to live." Wanda growled. "If I didn't hate you so much for what you and the Coalition had done, I might actually have some sort of empathy for you."

Ulquiorra sighed. "I was never asking nor looking for empathy." He admitted. "I am simply speaking the truth. Whether it is Halibel trying to find strong comrades and search for a reason to live, even if it means sacrificing her very life; Nnoitra seeking out the strongest enemy possible to find meaning; or even Starrk seeking comrades so that he is never lonely, there is one reality that we all have to accept."

"We are all empty." Ulquiorra grimly revealed. "Any emotions and personality we show...are just attempts at filling that void. Perhaps it is a tragic existence...but the only reason we even have any purpose in life was because of Lord Aizen's machinations. Though my loyalty now is to Lord Konton...I will always be grateful for what I was given by Lord Aizen."

"Thunder Pounce!" Wanda leapt into the air, coating her entire body in Electro. Ulquiorra calmly looked up to see the Mink attempting a downward strike from above. Ulquiorra calmly held his hand over his head and blocked Wanda's Thunder Pounce.

"By now, you need to realize that you cannot even hope to touch me in battle." Ulquiorra told her. "For your sake, give up, and I will make your end quick. You won't even feel it."

"However, if you insist on trying to fight a hopeless battle, I'll have no choice but to hurt you...badly." He continued in that same calm tone of voice of his.

"I refuse to give up!" Wanda yelled, leaping away from Ulquiorra to gain some distance between the two of them. "The Mink Tribe surrenders to no one!"

"Hmm...that sounds less like the 'heart' and more about a group's traditional pride." Ulquiorra mused. "I suppose it really doesn't matter. If your pride in battle really won't allow you to retreat, then you leave me no choice."

"Bring it then!" Wanda yelled. "I'm not afraid of fighting! Our leaders lost an arm and a leg against Jack! Do you really think we're afraid of death!"

Ulquiorra let a small smirk fall on his lips, surprising himself. "No," he admitted, "never once did I doubt you feared death, Mink girl. Before I end your life, let me ask you: what is your name? I don't believe you gave it to me."

"I am Wanda, proud Mink! Commit it to memory before I cut you down!" Wanda declared.

 _Well, I'll be, I smirked._ Ulquiorra realized as Wanda began charging him. _Am I...actually enjoying myself? No, I am simply...amused. Her passion and desire to fight for her cause is...amusing me. If I truly do possess a heart...it is a rather interesting one._

Wanda, meanwhile, in spite of her immense passion for fighting for the sake of her new comrades, knew how overmatched she was. _He's too strong._ She grimly concluded. _This guy...it's actually terrifying how strong he is, and he's not even taking me seriously._

 _But regardless, I won't back down!_ Wanda vowed. _I am a proud Mink, fighting to repay the debt she owes to her saviors. The Straw Hats, who were kind to us...who saved us from that awful poisonous gas. Lord Chitsujo and the Kingdom of Menou, who generously offered their own supplies just to help us rebuild. Those two healers, Orihime Inoue and Hachigen Ushoda, who graciously healed the severed limbs of Lord Inuarashi and Lord Nekomamushi, something we all had written off as impossible._

 _All these kind people...the Mink Tribe was blessed to meet such kind people in such a short period of time. Almost undeservedly blessed, really. Perhaps it was a divine reward for our loyalty to Sir Raizo...but we never would've asked for a reward for that. We would've fought and died for our friend regardless._

 _People are flawed...on the surface, nobody really deserves friends regardless of their species, because we all have a side to ourselves we're not proud of. That's why...friends are something to be cherished. We don't deserve them, but they stick with us anyway._

 _And that's why I won't give up! Even if I am fighting a superior enemy!_

Electricity began crackling at the very tip of Wanda's blade. Ulquiorra raised a curious eyebrow at Wanda's action before noticing something that actually made him a bit wary. _She's concentrating all that power at the tip._ He realized. _This attack...the sheer concentration of power might actually be far more devastating than her usual attacks._

"I'm putting everything into this one strike!" Wanda declared.

"Then come at me with everything you've got, Wanda of the Mink Tribe." Ulquiorra calmly challenged her.

"You asked for this!" Wanda reminded him. "Thunderbolt Fang!"

And with that, Wanda stabbed her blade forward, striking Ulquiorra right in the chest. Lightning exploded violently around Ulquiorra in such a bright flash that Wanda's vision was obscured.

 _He had to have at least felt that._ Wanda was almost pleading inwardly. _At least let me leave him with an injury or two…_

Wanda then gasped a she felt something slice across her midsection. Ulquiorra appeared several feet behind her with his hand outstretched. "N-no...way…" Wanda muttered.

Ulquiorra sighed. "An impressive attack," he complimented, "but not enough, I'm afraid. The body of an Espada...is not to be underestimated, Wanda of the Mink Tribe. That being said, know that I do recognize and truly respect your tenacity. That respect is extended to everyone in the Allied Forces."

Wanda collapsed to one knee. "You, who have fought across an entire world and have immediately moved onto the next...that level of tenacity and drive should be respected." Ulquiorra acknowledged. "I must admit, I used to despise such tenacity because it always seemed so useless in the face of true power. However, I must admit, after being bested by that very tenacity, I find myself curious about what truly is the source of power."

Ulquiorra then turned back to Wanda. "Now then," he said, "I will take your life, Wanda of the Mink Tribe."

"Get it over with." Wanda growled, clutching her open wound. "I do not fear death."

Ulquiorra nodded in understanding. "No torture," he promised, "no more pain. I will send you to the afterlife quickly and cleanly…"

"Anti-Matter Laser!" Ulquiorra was suddenly blasted away by a powerful laser beam that seemingly came out of nowhere. The blast sent him far away from the location of the battle. Wanda, meanwhile, collapsed completely and passed out from her wounds.

Jenny Realight panted slightly from the insanely powerful attack she had just fired off. "Oh man," she muttered before collapsing to one knee, "I can still sense his Spiritual Pressure. That attack didn't kill him...it just stunned him at best. Damn it, it took all my magic just to stun that guy?! Just how much of a freaking monster is he?!"

Jenny looked over her shoulder at Karui and Tenten. "Sorry Ten, Sorry Karui, you two are going to have to take the rest of this fight on your own."

"No worries," Tenten nodded, "I ain't gonna fault you for saving a comrade like that."

Tenten then turned her attention to Yammy Riyalgo, who was cracking his neck after going a few rounds with the trio, now a duo. Karui grit her teeth before addressing Tenten. "You know, not that I'm glad we're all still alive and kicking," she said, "but seriously, how are we going to fight someone like this guy? He's pure brute force, and he just makes it work for him."

"I hear you," Tenten admitted with a grim nod, "if he lands a few decent hits on us, we're done for."

"Yeah, but that won't stop us, right?" Karui smiled at Tenten. "You Leaf are way too damn stubborn to give up."

"Funny, I was about to say the same about you Cloud folks." Tenten responded with a smile of her own.

"Are you two ready to continue, or not?" Yammy asked.

"Ready to continue? Yeah." Tenten nodded. "Ready to win? Hell yeah!"

This made Yammy laugh. "Feisty, I love it!" He declared. "This should make devouring you lot enjoyable at least."

Yammy looked over at where Ulquiorra was. "Gah, too bad Ulquiorra got himself blasted away by that robo-girl." He lamented. "I wanted to show him how much stronger I've gotten, so he'd stop looking down on me so much!"

Yammy then instinctively shielded himself from a rain of kunai from one of Tenten's summoning scrolls with his arms. The kunai embedded themselves into his flesh "Cloud Style: Front Slice!" Karui yelled, slashing Yammy from the neck down.

Karui's eyes widened with glee as her blade actually cut through Yammy's flesh. "Alright!" She cheered.

Yammy growled. "Damn Hierro," he muttered, "why couldn't I get Nnoitra's Hierro?"

Yammy then moved his arms down. His fists lit up in red. "Well, if I can't protect myself, then I'm going to just destroy everything instead!" He declared. "Bala!"

Tenten and Karui both gasped in surprise as several orbs of pure Spirit Energy were fired from Yammy's fists. The Espada punched towards them, firing each Bala like a cannonball. "Oh crap!" Tenten yelled in fright, speeding around Yammy's Bala with Karui.

Yammy laughed maniacally as he immediately put the two kunoichi on the defensive. "I am the Espada of Rage!" He declared. "And you two have seriously pissed me off by thinking you could actually take me on!"

Tenten leapt above Yammy and unrolled another summoning scroll. "Okay," she said, "if quantity won't work, then I'll focus on quality!"

Yammy looked up to see a giant spiked ball falling onto him. "Oh." He muttered, holding his hands up and easily catching the spiked ball with his hands. The size of the spiked ball failed to work in Tenten's favor because Yammy was able to safely grab the spikes and hold them over his head.

"Did you seriously think that was going to work on me?" He demanded as Tenten landed on the ground.

"Well, crushing you was definitely out of the question." Tenten admitted with a smirk. "Who could hope to crush your giant ass?"

"So what the hell was the point of this you little bitch?" Yammy demanded.

"Don't you smell smoke?" Tenten asked.

Yammy looked up and gasped, seeing that the spiked ball was laced with explosive tags. His eyes widened in disbelief. "Oh crap!" He screamed in shock about to let go of the spiked ball, only to be attacked by Karui.

"Lightning Cloud Style: Thunderbolt Thrust!" Karui stabbed forward with her katana before firing off a bolt of lightning that struck Yammy right in the chest.

Yammy gasped in pain before being enveloped in an explosion, courtesy of the explosive tags above him.

"Be on guard, Karui, I don't think that got him." Tenten was quick to note.

"Yeah, but no matter how tough he is, he had to have felt that at least, right?" Karui was almost pleading, admittedly uncertain of victory against the several-foot tall behemoth that had muscles that could put Master Killer B to shame.

"Cero!" Tenten and Karui frantically dodged a red laser beam that shot out of the smoke kicked up by the explosion that Tenten had created.

"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me!" Karui yelled in surprise.

"Damn," Tenten growled, "am I going to have to use the Treasures to beat this guy?"

"Maybe bust out your trump card at the get go, huh?" Karui exclaimed.

"The Treasures require a lot of Chakra to use." Tenten reminded Karui. "If I can't bring this guy down, I'm going down!"

"Tenten, I don't know if you've noticed, but nothing else we're using seem to be slowing this guy down!" Karui reminded her. "And with Jenny using up all her magic power to save Wanda from that emo-looking prick, we're the best chance we've got right now. So I suggest you strongly consider busting out your trump cards before we both die!"

Yammy stepped out of the smoke. His clothes were smoky and charred from the explosion. He scowled. "Yeah, that's right, just keep hitting me with attacks. Just keep pissing me off. It's going to make your deaths a lot more painful. It'll be mala suerte for you lot. And in case you ninja folk don't know what that means, it means 'bad luck'."

"Well, all things considered, that was pretty obvious." Karui pointed out in her snarky tone of voice.

Yammy let out a belly laugh at that statement. "So damn feisty!" He exclaimed. "You two are making this fun for me at least!"

Tenten then noticed something that seriously worried her. "Hold on just a minute...Karui...is he bigger?"

Yammy scowled before laughing. "I've been eating and sleeping since this whole war started." He admitted. "To be honest, I was never expecting you lot to get this far. I always thought you'd get stopped dead in your tracks back in Fiore and Zeref and his men would kill you. But congrats! You actually managed to beat Zeref!"

Yeah, he was definitely growing just a bit more, something Yammy himself was noticing. "Damn, I've never had this much time to just lounge around and eat and sleep, storing up spirit energy. The power I've got stored up in me...it's large and overflowing. I'm actually having a hard time keeping it contained! I might actually surpass my normal rank!"

"Now he's just babbling." Tenten muttered, looking at Yammy in disbelief.

"You can say I'm babbling all you want, little mouse girl." Yammy taunted with a smirk. "But you were talking about trump cards earlier. I'm going to tell you right now, nothing you throw at me is going to work. I'm way too strong for either of you to hope to beat me. Only downside is that I can't just suck out your souls and turn you into a nice meal. I can at least make ya worth something."

Tenten and Karui both scowled at Yammy for that statement. "Anyway," Yammy continued, "I'm honestly getting a little worried that I might've eaten and slept for too long, and this amount of power might even get dangerous for little old me, so I'm going to let out a little more power on you!"

Yammy then gathered red spirit energy into his fist. "Tick, tick, tick boom!" He giddily exclaimed. "Bomba Cero!"

Yammy punched forward, expanding the spirit energy and making it explode, blasting both Tenten and Karui off their feet. Tenten acted quickly and unrolled another scroll. Several chains suddenly fired off from the scrolls, wrapping around Yammy's body. Tenten was thankfully saved from flying back further while Karui was unfortunately blasted back further.

Tenten quickly unrolled another scroll, firing off a massive amount of weapons that pelted Yammy repeatedly, turning him into a massive pincushion. "Grr!" Yammy growled. "Not that I don't mind a little resistance, but you pulling out the same damn tricks every single time is really starting to get on my nerves."

"But you know, Mousey, I really love it when that happens! It makes your death a hell of a lot messier!" Yammy declared as his entire body lit up in red.

Tenten was immediately put on alert by Yammy's sudden powerup. "Oh no!" She yelled, realizing immediately what was about to happen.

"Now, burn before me!" Yammy yelled. "Cero Infierno!"

And with that, Yammy's entire body exploded in a burst of red spirit energy. Tenten gasped before being blasted back by the sheer force of Yammy's Cero Infierno. Tenten screamed in pain, feeling the sheer heat of Yammy's spirit energy. The chains Tenten had used to bind Yammy and brace her in place were actually melted from the heat.

Yammy's Cero Infierno attack vanished just as quickly as it had appeared, but much to Tenten's horror, the sheer strength behind it had vaporized a 300-foot radius. Tenten quickly realized that being on the edge of that attack had spared her a fiery, painful death.

Still, judging by the fact the Chunin was struggling to her feet, Tenten knew she was close to her limit. "Okay," she muttered, "beginning to think that maybe Karui was right."

Tenten took out a single scroll and unsealed the Bashosen, the Leaf Fan, one of the Treasured Tools of the Sage of the Six Paths. Yammy took one look at the fan and laughed. "A fan? And just what do you expect to do against me with a fan?"

"Don't underestimate this fan, you bastard." Tenten growled. "This fan was one of many tools wielded by the strongest shinobi in history, the Sage of the Six Paths. I'm going to go out on a limb and say you've never heard of him, and simply let you know that name should freak you the hell out."

Yammy laughed at this statement. "Confident until the end, but you can barely stand." Yammy pointed out. "Really hope you can back up that bravado for once."

"Oh, trust me, I can very much back it up." Tenten promised. "You're going to regret underestimating me, big guy!"

"Either regret, or I'm just going to be disappointed again." Yammy snarkily responded. "Go ahead, Mouse, flip that coin."

Tenten roared and swung her fan forward. "Bashosen: Scroll of Fire!" She yelled, sending out a massive wave of fire towards Yammy.

Yammy's eyes went wide when he felt the sheer power of those flames. Tenten grit her teeth, feeling her chakra drain to near-zero from just one single swing of that fan. However, she had to amplify those flames with another blast. "Bashosen," she muttered, mustering up the last of her strength, "Scroll of Wind!"

Yammy gasped as the winds from Tenten's Bashosen combined with the flames to create an even stronger force than before. "Oh no," he muttered before crossing his arms and taking the full brunt of Tenten's combined attack.

The force of the blast swept Yammy right off his feet and pushed him several hundred feet away from Tenten. The weapons master of the Hidden Leaf Village felt her chakra drop to zero. "That's it for me." She muttered. "Really should consider handing this off to someone with the chakra to handle its power...but I really don't want to part with such a cool weapon."

As Tenten drifted into unconsciousness, Yammy Riyalgo rose to his feet several feet away, and he was not happy. He was now badly burnt, though his body was regenerating. He could feel his bones ache from the impact of the blast.

Yammy roared in anger. "That hurt!" He screamed as his body suddenly increased in size. "You bitch mouse! Mouse bitch! That hurt!"

Yammy marched over to Tenten's body. "I tried to warn you, damn it." He growled. "Just keep pissing me off, more and more. All it's going to do is make your death more and more painful."

"Because that's what wrath is. Wrath is the desire to hurt and kill the people you hate in the most painful way possible." Yammy cracked his neck. "Wrath is the power you hold over your victims. And most importantly, I. Am. Wrath!"

As Yammy continued to advance on Tenten, a flash of lightning appeared next to Yammy. Barely looking, the Espada grabbed a blade of lightning, feeling it dig into his flesh. Karui, who had attempted a last minute assassination by going straight for the neck, gasped in disbelief.

Yammy looked derisively at Karui. "You didn't really think that was going to work, did you? You freaking piece of trash."

Yammy grabbed Karui by the head and slammed her right into the ground. Karui let out a brief yell of pain before going still. Yammy had knocked her out in a single blow now. "Just trash, every last one of you." He growled. "You all think you can compare to an Arrancar? An Espada? I eat pieces of crap like you for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! There's not a snowball's chance in hell that any of you could hope to compare to me!"

Yammy raised his foot in the air, ready to stomp on Karui. "I'll crush your pretty little head nice and quick." He promised. "This will only hurt a lot...but for about a second. Then, I'll devour your soul."

Yammy then looked over at the unconscious Tenten. "Then I'll crush her. Those combined flames and winds...they actually freaking hurt! I'm not supposed to get hurt by fire and wind! It just. Pisses. ME OFF!"

"It pisses me off, it pisses me off, it pisses me off!" Yammy screamed. "But you do it anyway! You do it anyway without a care in the freaking world! Do you just not care what the hell happens to you? Do you not respect me enough to not know what I'm going to do with you? I mean look at me! Do I look like the kind of man you can screw with?"

Yammy breathed heavily, catching his breath after that massive rant. "Fine," he said, "simply fine. Just. Freaking. Fine. If you're going to keep pissing me off, then you're just going to have to deal with the consequences."

Yammy cracked his neck "I'm going to make both of your heads go splat, like smashed watermelons. I can't help but wonder how they're going to identify your body once I'm done with you...why am I still talking to you, you're unconscious."

Yammy sighed. "Sheesh, now I'm beginning to understand why Ulquiorra always talks to me like I'm an idiot." He admitted before grinning in a predatory manner. "Shows what he knows. If he knew I actually outranked him...heh, I can't help but wonder if he'd bow down and lick my boots the way he did for Lord Aizen."

Yammy turned his attention back to Karui. "Maybe I should just tell him, see how he reacts...he'd probably not even care...nothing gets him riled up."

Yammy raised his foot over Karui's head. "Goodbye, Cloud Bitch" he said with a smirk, "today's forecast is cloudy with a chance of death!"

In Yammy's head, that sounded clever...it really was not.

Yammy was then suddenly peppered by bullets and magic. "Oh, now what?!" Yammy yelled, stumbling backwards.

"Protect Karui and Tenten!" A soldier leading a line of Alliance soldiers yelled as the line of soldiers stepped up to fight Yammy and protect their two downed comrades.

Yammy growled, annoyed at having his moment of triumph interrupted by these annoyances. "Seriously?" He growled. "I mean, seriously? Talk about rude. You bastards just don't have any tact."

Yammy then gave a small smile in anticipation of the hellish pain he was going to inflict on these soldiers for interrupting him. "Still," he continued, "prey that comes right to you is...quite delicious."

As Yammy continued to find success against his many foes, Buggy the Clown laughed in an attempt to save face while being confronted by Kurotsuchi of the Hidden Rock Village. Outwardly, he wanted to portray an image of pure confidence to his loyal troops. The image of the Clown Star, the mighty Warlord of the Sea, leader of the Pirate Dispatch Alliance, and the man who had once been "mentored" by Gold Roger and had a brotherly bond with Red Haired Shanks, one of the strongest pirates in the entire world.

Inwardly, Buggy was scared out of his mind and felt way out of his depth. Inwardly, he was still the image of the cowardly pragmatist who's idea of victory came from throwing Buggy Balls at the enemy and stabbing them without warning from seemingly severed limbs. He was just The Clown, not the Clown Star. He was no mighty Warlord of the Sea. The only reason he even got that position was because he had followers that were fifty times stronger than he was. The only reason he was even the leader of his Pirate Dispatch Alliance was because his loyal followers were too stupid to know they were stronger than him and could therefore usurp power from him any time they wished. He was not personally mentored by Gold Roger. He was pretty much the ship's apprentice, the freaking chore boy. And his bond with Shanks was one-sided disdain.

In other words, Buggy did not, in anyway, live up to the hype he had built up around himself in order to maintain his incredibly precarious position of power. He was not a legend in his own mind, he was a legend in the minds of simpler folks...you know, morons. And now, he had to live up to that dumb legend in order to not only survive against Kurotsuchi, but also maintain that very position he had received.

He grinned toothily at Kurotsuchi before making one 'final offer.' "Last chance, girlie." He said. "I'm feeling incredibly generous today. If you back off now, I'll forget that last punch you threw at me. You get to live. Doesn't that sound super generous of me?"

Kurotsuchi quickly got over her shock over her first punch not doing anything to Buggy. She glared at the clown. "Thought I told you," she growled, "I'm not backing down. Rock Village has done plenty of things we're not proud of...but we're trying to move past that. All the Five Great Nations are."

"And part of atoning...means going after jackasses like you who still stand by and let awful crap like this happen." Kurotsuchi noted. "You can offer it as many times as you like, but you can take that offer and shove it right up your ass. I'm not taking it."

"So just shut up and fight me already, Big Nose!" Kurotsuchi snapped at him.

Buggy froze as a chill of death suddenly permeated through the area around them. Kurotsuchi felt it too. "What the hell...why does it feel like a freaking reaper's grabbed me all of a sudden?"

Buggy narrowed his eyes. "What." He said in a low dangerous tone. "Did you just say. About my nose?"

Kurotsuchi's eyes widened, wondering if she had gone too far in talking down to her enemies for ocne. Deciding to play tough though, she responded. "Well of course I pointed out your nose." She said. "I mean, you have seen it right? With how big it is, you had to have seen it at some point."

Buggy gazed at Kurotsuchi in disbelief while the veteran Buggy Pirates all heaved a sigh, knowing what was to come. In both their attempts at acting tough, Kurotsuchi had been the one to sign her death warrant. And Buggy was now given even more motivation to fight than ever before.

"You're going to flashily die you bitch." Buggy said in the lowest, most dangerous tone of voice he could manage. "I mean it, you're doomed."

Kurotsuchi narrowed her eyes, realizing she had indeed pushed this clown just a bit too far. However, she still had no intention of backing down now. She had to win, for the sake of everyone who had suffered because of the Coalition here on Fishman Island.

Buggy then quickly brandished multiple throwing knives from his massive coat. "I hope you're ready, at least one of these are going to become very well acquainted with your flesh."

Buggy then trained one hand full of knives on Kurotsuchi. "Chop Chop Cannon!" Buggy detached his wrist from his body and fired it off like a cannon.

Kurotsuchi quickly moved to the side and avoided Buggy's Chop Chop Cannon attack, only for Buggy to smirk and stomp his feet, revealing a knife inside his shoes. He then cartwheeled towards the Rock Kunoichi. "Chop Chop Rice Cracker!" Buggy yelled, detaching his lower half and spinning it towards Kurotsuchi like a buzzsaw.

Kurotsuchi's eyes widened, realizing that Buggy's Chop Chop Cannon had been a feint and this was the real attack. "Earth Style: Mud Wall Jutsu!" She yelled, erecting, a quick stone wall between herself and Buggy's Chop Chop Rice Cracker.

Buggy's lower half collided with Kurotsuchi's defensive ninjutsu. The clown pirate grit his teeth in frustration at Kurotsuchi's successful block. However, he was not done yet. Buggy had plenty more tricks up his sleeve than a simple bait and switch attack.

Buggy quickly reassembled his body. Kurotsuchi used this opportunity to go on the offensive now. If Buggy's powers were all about disassembling and reassembling himself, she needed to make sure he remained together. Or at least in one place where she would not have to worry about surprise attacks as much as she is right now.

"Lava Style!" Kurotsuchi yelled. "Quicklime Jutsu!"

Kurotsuchi quickly spat out some quicklime towards Buggy. Immediately realizing that something was wrong, Buggy quickly leapt into the air. "Don't take me for such a fool!" Buggy yelled. "Chop Chop Launch!"

Buggy trained his feet right at Kurotsuchi before detaching his entire lower half once again. "Agh, damn!" Kurotsuchi cursed in frustration at her attack failing and also Buggy attacking her again.

She quickly rolled to the side and avoided Buggy's Chop Chop Launch. However, Buggy was not done just yet. What Kurotsuchi did not realize was that she was standing in Buggy's area of effectiveness, where he could manipulate his detached body parts freely. "Now, Chop Chop Boomerang!" Buggy yelled as his lower half turned around and leapt into the air.

Buggy's feet then detached and began spinning towards Kurotsuchi from behind. Kurotsuchi gasped and looked over her shoulder, only to be slashed by both blades on Buggy's feet. Kurotsuchi briefly yelled in pain before gritting her teeth and refocusing on the fight. She quickly dodged the return of Buggy's feet and watched as they came back to Buggy's lower half. "Damn Devil Fruits." She growled, realizing what she was dealing with.

Buggy laughed upon hearing this. "Pretty obvious, huh, but still you're helpless!" He taunted. "I ate the Chop Chop Fruit! That makes me a Splitting Man!" Buggy explained. "A pretty simplistic Devil Fruit, I'll admit. But it's quite effective in capturing simple minded fools like you off guard!"

Kurotsuchi growled at this before looking back over her shoulder at Buggy's lower half, then at his upper half. _Okay then,_ she quickly made up her mind, _if he's just going to keep splitting his body apart and attacking me that way, then I'll just have to go after the one part of his body that isn't doing anything._

Kurotsuchi took one look at Buggy's head and began charging forward. _I'm going right for his stupid face!_

Buggy's eyes widened. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, seriously?" He frantically asked. "Right at me, huh?"

"Need a hand, Buggy?" Alvida sarcastically asked. "You know your 'loyal crew' is ready to come in and help any time you need."

"I don't need any help against the likes of her!" Buggy regained his composure and kept up his brash act. "I'm the great Clown Star after all!"

Buggy trained his right hand on Kurotsuchi. "Chop Chop!" He yelled, detaching his entire forearm and launching it towards Kurotsuchi.

"I won't fall for that again!" Kurotsuchi yelled, grabbing the forearm and stopping the attack dead in its tracks...or so she thought.

"Again? This is my first time using this attack." Buggy pointed out with a smug grin on his face. "Chop Chop Cannon-Separate!"

Kurotsuchi gasped as Buggy's hand from the wrist-up detached from his forearm. She frantically leaned back, but felt the knives graze her face. Kurotsuchi gasped once more as she felt trickles of blood run down her face.

"Fine, I'll just have to use the old fashioned way to deal with Devil Fruit users." Kurotsuchi noted, tossing Buggy's forearm away. She quickly sped through the necessary Hand Signs. "Water Style: Water Trumpet Jutsu!"

Kurotsuchi inhaled deeply, preparing to exhale a tremendous amount of water to douse Buggy. First, it is worth explaining why Water Style manages to nullify Devil Fruits, when normally getting wet is not enough (it takes full submersion into seawater to nullify Devil Fruits). It was actually because water-based ninjutsu comes from chakra, which is a 'spiritual energy' similar to Haki, which at its core is also a type of 'spiritual energy.' The spiritual energy Haki expels in Armament form, which is a physical extension of the user's will, is enough to nullify the powers of Logia fruits. Therefore, if this spiritual energy was manifested in the form of water, it could nullify Devil Fruits of all kinds.

Buggy frantically screamed as he moved his body away from Kurotsuchi's line of sight, making Kurotsuchi smirk as she prepared to exhale. She had his number now. Then, Buggy smirked right back and Kurotsuchi felt a blade pass across her back.

"Such a stubborn, single minded girl you are." Buggy laughed, his confidence in his victory rising with every landed blow on Kurotsuchi. "Do you really think you can beat me stubborn will alone? That may work for that annoying rubber idiot, but I've got news for you, he's a freak of nature! And stubborn will only works on freaks of nature."

"Don't talk about my future husband like that." Alvida pouted.

"And you stop talking about marriage, I don't think Straw Hat even knows what marriage is!" Buggy yelled. "I wouldn't even put it past him to assume it's some kind of food!"

Kurotsuchi grit her teeth and started running through several Hand Signs. "You're damn right I'm stubborn." She said proudly. "That's...the Will of Stone for you. The stubbornness to never give up, even if the odds are seriously stacked against you."

"I won't give up. I won't lose. I certainly won't lose to a damn clown like you!" Kurotsuchi declare. "Even if I break every bone in my body. Even if I have to crawl. I'm going to keep fighting until I win. That stubbornness is the Will of Stone. That stubbornness is the Allied Forces' strength as well. It's true grit...that you could never understand and never hope to compare to!"

"Grit? Screw grit!" Buggy yelled. "The elite have no need for grit! Grit didn't get me the most desirable position for a pirate in my world! It was the genius of an elite among elites! I have no need for grit!"

"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!" Kurotsuchi expelled a tremendous amount of fire from her mouth, aimed right at Buggy's upper body, particularly his head.

"Chop Chop Quick Scatter!" Buggy yelled as his entire body suddenly split apart. A more advanced version of the simple Chop Chop Quick Escape, the Chop Chop Quick Scatter technique allows Buggy to split himself apart and move around at a faster, more random rate, making it easier for him to avoid more larger scale attacks like powerful, massive flames.

It also made for the perfect setup for Buggy's ultimate technique. "Chop Chop Festival!" Buggy yelled as his entire body began to spin around in different areas.

Kurotsuchi gasped as she was suddenly surrounded by Buggy's many body parts. "No way!" She exclaimed. "You can separate your body to this length?"

"That's right!" Buggy exclaimed as his head floated above the storm of pieces that danced around Kurotsuchi. "My ultimate technique! The power to separate into tens of hundreds of pieces and trap the enemy in an endless storm of ass-kicking!"

Suddenly, the body parts began to assault Kurotsuchi from every single direction. The first body part smacked her right in the back of the head. Kurotsuchi was left in a daze from that blow, and it left her vulnerable to the rest of Buggy's assault.

"And now the festival begins!" Buggy laughed madly as Kurotsuchi was hit from every angle. "And what a festival it is! Only one event, but it's one to remember! The complete and utter destruction of a foolish girl who had the nerve to insult my nose!"

"And it all comes back to the nose." Cabaji muttered.

"That's Captain Buggy for ya." Mohji added.

Kurotsuchi yelled in pain as she continued to get thrown around by Buggy's assault. She even felt blades dig into her body from when Buggy's hands and feet came in to attack her. Buggy continued to laugh cruelly as he struck at Kurotsuchi over and over and over again. "Time for a flashy end!" Buggy declared. "Now, flashily die you flashy bitch!"

"Flashy end indeed." Alvida muttered. "Buggy may be as lazy as the rest of us, but he at least managed to improve that Chop Chop Festival over the past two years. I don't think I've seen anyone escape it for two years now."

"Go, Captain Buggy! Beat the evil Kunoichi!" Buggy's loyal followers cheered for him. "Go Captain Buggy! Beat the evil Kunoichi!"

Buggy continued to laugh. "See?" He exclaimed. "Do you see? You can't beat me! What was all that about grit? You get it now, right? That's nothing but a lame sucker's bet! The elite have no need for grit! I just flashily kicked your ass without that grit you loved to prattle on about! No need for a Will of Stone! Just pure brain and brawn! You were screwed from the get go!"

Inwardly, Buggy was a different story. _Seriously, I can't help but feel I just got lucky._ He admitted to himself. _This girl had no idea how to deal with my Chop Chop Fruit. Not to mention she was way too damn stubborn!_

Kurotsuchi was unable to deliver a proper response to Buggy. She was trapped, and getting smacked or slashed repeatedly by his Chop Chop Festival. _I can't move...I can't fight back. I can't even form the proper Hand Signs for a Substitution Jutsu to get me the hell out of this mess!_

 _I...I seriously blundered here._ Kurotsuchi realized. _Dad...Grandpa...I'm so sorry._

For the first time in years...Kurotsuchi honestly thought she was going to die…

The situation continued to grow worse around Fishman Island. The divide between soldiers who had kept cool heads and soldiers who had lost their heads in the face of the horrific war crimes had cut the power of the 5th Fleet in half, leaving them vulnerable. However, there were plenty of soldiers who were still fighting their hardest, in spite of the odds being stacked against them now.

One of them was Marechiyo Omaeda, the Lieutenant of Squad 2 who had come to the timely rescue of a now unconscious Jozu, Abdullah and Jeet. To his credit, Omaeda had already done pretty well thus far. He had managed to sneak up from behind and successfully knock out _Seilah_ , one of the Nine Demon Gates of the Tartarus Guild. He had even managed to sneak up on Kyoka and give her a good whack with his Zanpakuto's Shikai, Gegetsuburi.

Unfortunately, Kyoka was leagues ahead of Seilah. She was not going to go down from a single sneak attack. She was still up and about. And she was _not_ happy that Omaeda had managed to get the drop on her.

"Damn you," Kyoka growled, "don't think you can get away with this! I have no intention of forgiving you for that little sneak attack. And Seilah...how dare you strike down Seilah in front of me!"

"Huh?" Omaeda frowned, genuinely confused. "The hell do you think you are, saying stuff like that? Those kinds of speeches are reserved for the good guys you know! And last time I checked, you're no good guy!"

"If you really care about your friends that much, then why the hell can't ya spare that kind of care for all those fish men that died?! All those cute, sexy mermaids that had their whole lives ahead of them, that I was going to regale with tales of my dashing heroism and masculinity! You ruined all of that!"

"So it all comes down to selfishness?" Kyoka frowned. "No offense, but I don't think you're the type who has any right to be full of yourself."

"Ha, I'm full of nothing _but_ myself!" Omaeda declared with a grin. "If confidence is king, I'm going to be an emperor! And don't get the wrong idea, even if I had every intention of scoring with a few mermaids, that doesn't mean I don't give a damn about justice! I've got every intent of taking you down with all my strength, for the sake of everyone you killed. That's what Soul Reapers do after all! Reaping wicked souls so that the innocent don't have to suffer their wicked whims!"

Kyoka scoffed and cracked her neck. "What a big, delusional fool you are." She said, quick to brush off Omaeda. "I let you catch me off guard once, but never again. It's time I tear you back down to where you belong, human."

"Huh? I'm not human though, I'm a Soul Reaper." Omaeda pointed out.

"But your soul is human." Kyoka pointed out, licking her lips. "That means, you're a mere step above normal humans. And let me tell you, unless we're talking about _that woman_ , that single step doesn't mean much."

With that, Kyoka extended her talons towards Omaeda, changing them into tendrils meant to pierce his flesh and amplify his pain exponentially. Omaeda's eyes widened as his haughtiness was immediately wiped away at the sight of the speedy tendrils. _Fast!_ Omaeda frantically thought as he was forced to Flash Step away from the spot he was standing in.

Kyoka laughed, seeing the immediate change in Omaeda's expression. "Oh dear," she taunted, "it seems you've already realized the difference in our strength."

Omaeda reappeared behind Kyoka and swung Gegetsuburi at her, intent on caving her head in with one strike. Kyoka, however, had tracked Omaeda's movements with her sensory ability, spun around and extended her claws far enough to block Gegetsuburi barehanded without getting hurt. Kyoka then tightened her grip on Gegetsuburi as Omaeda tried to pull his Zanpakuto away from her. Omaeda gasped as he tried to pull Gegetsuburi away from Kyoka to no avail. "No, no, no!" Omaeda frantically yelled.

Kyoka grinned and yanked on Gegetsuburi, pulling Omaeda towards her. She then flexed her other claws, ready to tear out Omaeda's throat when he was in range. "No, no, no, NO!" Omaeda frantically screamed before holding out his free hand.

Kyoka raised an eyebrow, wondering what Omaeda had planned. When Omaeda was ten feet from Kyoka, he made his move. "Bakudo #21, Sekienton!" He yelled, blasting Kyoka with a large cloud of red smoke that enveloped the both of them.

"Ack!" Kyoka flinched in surprise, losing her grip on Gegetsuburi in the process and allowing Omaeda to safely retreat.

"Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap that was close." Omaeda muttered, gazing at the red smoke to make sure that Kyoka did not exit the smoke and track him down while he was distracted. "Good thing the only Kido spell I'm super decent at is Sekienton, or I'd be in serious trouble. Members of the Stealth Force have to know when and how to run away, after all."

Omaeda then gazed at the unconscious forms of Abdullah, Jeet and Jozu. "Aww man," he muttered, "if they wanted to get up at any time, that would be great. Seriously, I'm kinda on my own here."

The smoke started to clear up. "Aww man," Omaeda groaned, realizing he had to jump back into the fight, "well, I sure as hell can't just leave 'em. I know Captain Soifon would probably say that I should, since it's not the Stealth Force's job to save lives, but rather take them."

Omaeda heaved a sigh. "Agh, sorry, Captain." He muttered. "Truth be told, I guess deep down I always hated that rule. I guess it's because if Mareyo found out I was a coward, I don't know if I could forgive myself. Little siblings are supposed to look up to the big ones...I'm scared out of my mind, Captain Soifon, but I can't back down, for Mareyo."

Omaeda then thought back to a particularly horrible sight. The sight of little fish men children, half-submerged into those black pools with looks of terror and pain on their faces. Any one of those kids could have been Mareyo. Hell, when the Wandenreich invaded, Mareyo almost was a casualty of war.

Omaeda was a dull, cowardly, brash, and arrogant man who did not like putting his life on the line for anything...other than his family. For his family's sake, he is more than willing to punch way outside his weight class.

"Okay, bring it on!" Omaeda yelled to Kyoka, desperately trying to put on a brave face but failing miserably.

Kyoka stepped out of the remaining smoke and scoffed at Omaeda's attempt at bravado. "You're shaking in your boots. You're so damn scared, it's not even funny." Kyoka noted. "Even so...you still want to fight."

"I'd say I respect that, but I'd be lying." Kyoka admitted. "The truth is, I can't stand it when I see someone with that level of resolve nowadays. It stirs up some really old wounds."

"Of course I'm not going to give up!" Omaeda tried to keep his brave face regardless. "I'm Marechiyo Yoshiayamenosuke Nikkotaroemon Omaeda! I'm a member of the noble Omaeda Clan! Nobles have a duty to stand up to villains like you and set a good example for commoners."

At this point, Omaeda was trying to convince himself of that instead of Kyoka, but his heart was in the right place at least. Points for trying, Omaeda.

"If you're not going to give up, I hope you're prepared to accept the consequences of this foolhardy endeavor of yours." Kyoka said in a deathly calm tone before rushing Omaeda.

Omaeda quickly held Gegetsuburi out in front of him as Kyoka thrust one of her claws forward. Kyoka grit her teeth in frustration as the claws pierced Gegetsuburi, but not Omaeda's flesh. She then smirked. "Got you." She said as she began to extend her claws through Gegetsuburi.

"Got it reversed!" Omaeda declared with a smirk of his own before surprisingly dropping Gegetsuburi. Kyoka gasped as the sudden drop forced her to the ground. Omaeda then threw a haymaker right into Kyoka's face, making the Etherious grunt in pain.

 _He lured me into a trap by using his Zanpakuto as bait!_ Kyoka realized.

Omaeda then Flash Stepped away from Kyoka. He grabbed onto Gegetsuburi's chain and yanked the spiked ball off of Kyoka's claw, breaking it in the process. Kyoka gasped in surprise, gazing at her broken claw.

"You bastard." She growled as her claw slowly began to regenerate.

"Che," Omaeda scoffed, "so she can regenerate like an Arrancar can? Man, I just can't catch a break today."

Omaeda then brought back Gegetsuburi to his side. He began twirling it around. "No matter!" He declared. "I've got something perfect for her! Gegetsuburi is a melee type Zanpakuto, that means it has no Kido or elemental abilities to speak of."

"But," Omaeda continued, "Ikkaku's Hozukimaru is melee and it's got the ability to split apart. Ichigo Kurosaki's Zangetsu is melee, and it can fire off blasts of spirit energy. Point being, just because Gegetsuburi is pretty simple compared to a handsome fella like me, doesn't mean it can't do cool things."

 _Okay, I'm facing north right now. That means the other cardinal directions won't be too confusing._ Omaeda noted inwardly.

"Here we go!" Omaeda yelled, flinging Gegetsuburi at Kyoka.

Kyoka whipped her head to the side, avoiding the spiked ball. Omaeda grinned and gave a hard yank, pulling it back towards himself and Kyoka. Kyoka narrowed her eyes, knowing exactly what Omaeda was doing. She leapt into the air, seemingly avoiding Gegetsuburi. Then, Omaeda gave a grin. "Jo!"

The spiked ball of Gegetsuburi suddenly changed directions and shot upwards, striking Kyoka in the stomach, sending her flying backwards. "Wh-what?" She muttered in disbelief.

"A little technique I developed throughout the war." Omaeda revealed as the chain and spiked ball suddenly lit up in spirit energy. "With a single command, I can change Gegetsuburi's direction at will. As of now, you're in my area of effect."

 _No way!_ Kyoka thought in disbelief. _I fell into his trap again?_

"Kita!" Omaeda yelled as Gegetsuburi moved north, striking Kyoka once more. "And Shitamuki!"

Gegetsuburi suddenly moved downwards, taking Kyoka with it, driving her into the ground. "This ain't Kido-type, or any other special or elemental abilities." Omaeda explained. "Much like with Ikkaku and Kurosaki's Zanpakuto, a few techniques changes what Gegetsuburi is capable of, making it far more deadly.

Kyoka leapt from the ground and charged Omaeda. Omaeda grinned. "Minami!" He yelled, commanding Gegetsuburi to move south at an incredible rate.

Kyoka quickly leaned to the side, avoiding Gegetsuburi. "Hokuto!" Omaeda yelled, as Gegetsuburi changed direction and moved northeast.

Kyoka frantically leaned to avoid the attack once again, but was grazed this time. As the attack was grazing her, Omaeda struck once more. "Nishi!" He yelled as Gegetsuburi suddenly changed directions and began pushing her westward.

"You've...gotta...be...kidding me!" Kyoka yelled in pure frustration.

Kyoka managed to push herself off of Gegetsuburi. She gazed at Omaeda and realized that the chain was growing. _So, he's growing, and that's how he's able to get it to move in so many different directions. The question now is, what's his limit?_

"Nanto!" Kyoka gasped as Gegetsuburi suddenly began moving southeast, towards her.

Kyoka flipped over the attack. "Nishi!" She leaned back from a westward attack.

"Azuma!" Kyoka flipped over the spiked ball once more.

"Nishikami!" Kyoka ducked underneath Gegetsuburi as it moved up and westward.

 _No!_ Kyoka thought to herself, realizing her error in trying to figure out Omaeda's limit in using this technique. _I'm not going to figure out his limit because he already knows his own limit! He's not going to hit it because he understands it!_

In this moment, Omaeda was proving himself a worthy Lieutenant of Squad 2. "Azuma!" Omaeda yelled. "And Shitamuki!"

Kyoka looked up just in time to see Gegetsuburi coming down towards her. She leapt forward, avoiding the ball. "Nanto!" It then moved southeast. "Nansei and Kita!"

Gegetsuburi moved southwest before moving north once more. Kyoka narrowed her eyes as she flipped over Kita, quick enough to avoid any followups Omaeda had. She was slowly starting to lose her patience with this. "Fine then," she growled, "if I can't hope for you to reach your limit, then I'll just have to go right for the source!"

"I'm going to kill you, Soul Reaper!" Kyoka yelled as she began running towards Omaeda.

Omaeda's eyes widened slightly at Kyoka losing her temper. However, she was still in Gegetsuburi's area of effect. That meant he still had the advantage. He began calling out various 'directions' to try and knock Kyoka away.

Kyoka's body suddenly lit up in a bright light. Just like that, her movements began to increase in speed. She began flipping and leaping over Gegetsuburi as she neared Omaeda. Omaeda gasped. _What the hell? How did she suddenly get faster? She's avoiding Gegetsuburi so easily now!_

"Now you die!" Kyoka yelled as she continued to near the Squad 2 Lieutenant.

 _Damn,_ Omaeda thought, _I'm vulnerable like this. Good thing I've got Sekienton to fall back on. I'll retreat and try again._

"Bakudo #21, Sekienton!" Omaeda yelled as soon as Kyoka was within range.

Kyoka gasped slightly as the two of them were enveloped in red smoke once more. Omaeda quickly reappeared outside of the red smoke, panting in relief. "Whew," he muttered, "that was close...too close. She definitely got much faster."

Then, much to Omaeda's horror, a shadowy figure suddenly sped out of the smoke right towards him. Omaeda's eyes widened in shock as Kyoka was upon him in an instant. She drove her claws right into Omaeda's stomach, using her Enhancement Curse to amplify the pain he was in. Omaeda screamed in pain as his pain was amplified a hundred-fold while Kyoka looked on with a cold expression on her face.

"Nice try," she said, "but that won't work on me a second time. For you see, my Curse allows me to enhance _anything_ , that includes my sensory abilities...even if you think you've blinded me with that red smoke of yours."

After several minutes of amplifying the pain of being impaled, Kyoka let up, allowing Omaeda to collapse onto his back. _I can...barely move._ Omaeda thought to himself.

Omaeda looked over his shoulder at Gegetsuburi. He then watched as Kyoka calmly walked over and slashed it with her claws, shattering it into several pieces. "I won't allow myself to be caught by that technique again." She vowed.

While Kyoka was focused on Gegetsuburi's destruction, Omaeda weakly flipped himself over and began to pull himself away. _Got to...get my strength back._ He thought. _Gotta...retreat...with the others…_

 _But even if I can't get up...even if I can't move...I won't give up! I'm going to survive this damn war! I've got to survive!_ Omaeda frantically told himself, trying to will himself to gain the strength to escape.

 _I won't give up, even if I have to crawl. Survival is...everything. I've got to get back home, no matter what!_ Omaeda reminded himself. _To Mareyo, to the rest of my family. I've got to...get back to them!_

Briefly, in Omaeda's injured, delirious state, he saw a vision of his family, the Omaeda Clan. His little sister, Mareyo, at the front, smiling at him. Instinctively, he reached out to her.

THUNK! Five elongated, blade-like fingers rammed themselves right into the back of Omaeda's head. Kyoka stood behind him with a dispassionate expression on her face. This meant nothing to her. Just another kill in a long line of them...

 **A.N: There's really no delicate way for me to put this, so I might as well just say it. Yeah, I killed Omaeda. And yeah, in his first big scene, he dies. But hey, so did Ren back in the Fairy Tail Campaign. And let's be honest here, it's Omaeda. Are you guys really unhappy that it was him who died? Yeah, that's what I thought. Besides, in fairness to him, he put up a decent fight.**

 **Anyway, I definitely wanted to give Coalition soldiers some big wins for a change. With Sagi as the main antagonist of this arc, I think it's becoming more and more obvious I'm slowly moving Rakuen into their rightful role as main antagonists of the series. So, it's important to me I give our villainous friends of anime a few big hurrahs before getting swept aside, you know what I mean?**

 **Hope everyone enjoyed this depressing chapter of grit and despair (two vastly different things, but that's kinda what this chapter was).**


	22. Chapter 22: What We Do For the Dead

**A big, big announcement today. It is with great jubilation that after months of editing and proofreading (with help from my good friend and close writing confidant, Ryuzaki 007), that I am pleased to announce that Book I of Age of Heroes, The Hero and the Student will be self-published onto Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing during the month of December. All I have to do now is design a cover and it will all be ready to go. Once it is published, I will post another announcement on each of my major stories to let everyone know.**

 **To everyone who has waited patiently for the longest time, your patience will soon be rewarded. And a big thank you to everyone who has supported me through this, it truly means a lot. If you enjoy my Fanfiction writing, I highly recommend you give my first original work a read, it's my love letter to anime in the form of the fantasy genre. So, let's now commence the next chapter of this tale.**

 **Chapter 22: What We Do For the Dead**

Slave Star Kyoka gazed down at the corpse of Marechiyo Omaeda with an unreadable expression on her face. She then heaved a sigh. "I have to admit," she said, "for a human's soul, you had quite the will to live, an admirable will in fact."

"I guess...that's still just one thing I still tend to underestimate about you fragile, fragile beings. Perhaps it is because you are so fragile that you have such a mighty will to live." Kyoka pointed out, more to herself than anyone else.

"Unfortunately for you, you were doomed from the get-go." Kyoka admitted. "Even if you somehow managed to crawl away from me...even if I was unable to finish you off because of any injuries you had managed to inflict upon me, my ally would've struck you down in my place. I'm afraid your only end was death."

Seilah, having long-regained consciousness, stepped up next to Kyoka. "I'm...sorry, Lady Kyoka." She said, audibly frustrated and ashamed of herself. "I...can't believe I let someone like that catch me off guard. I bring shame to the Nine Demon Gates."

"Based on his fighting style, it's easy to assume he was a member of the Soul Society's Stealth Force." Kyoka noted. "You shouldn't feel ashamed by being ambushed by someone like that. And the most important thing is that you got back up after being ambushed. It would've been an issue if you had stayed down after that attack."

"But you didn't," Kyoka smiled lightly, "you got right back up. Thank you for reminding me why you are a member of the Nine Demon Gates, Seilah."

Seilah blushed at Kyoka's acknowledgement. "Thank you, Milady." She said softly.

"So," Seilah looked out ahead, "what happens now? We could always hunt down what's left of those soldiers that had come with that pirate from the Whitebeards."

"If they're just going to run, going after them means nothing. I have no interest in humans that already know their place." Kyoka walked over to Omaeda's body. "No, I think we'll focus our efforts on this one."

"Eh? But why, Lady Kyoka, he's already dead, is he not?" She asked curiously.

"He is," Kyoka replied, "however, with the technological capabilities we've gained from allying with Rakuen, I can't help but wonder the possibility of advancing our demonification abilities in Hell's Core."

"You think we can create new demons from the corpses of the fallen?" Seilah's eyes went wide in disbelief. "Lady Kyoka, if we could prove ourselves capable of such, we could increase Tartaros' power exponentially. No, we could increase the Coalition's power exponentially."

"Which is why I want you to keep this quiet for the time being, Seilah." Kyoka told her ally, surprising her. "This stays between us. It gets out to no one else."

"Eh? Why, Lady Kyoka?" Seilah raised a curious eyebrow. "Lord Mard Geer and Lord Konton need to hear about this amazing possibility."

"No, Seilah, I'm afraid neither Lord Mard Geer nor Lord Konton can hear about this." Kyoka proclaimed in a completely serious tone of voice.

"Lady Kyoka!" Seilah exclaimed in disbelief. "You do realize that what you're talking about could very well be called treason on so many different levels, right? Not just treason against Tartaros and Lord Mard Geer, but also treason against the Coalition and Lord Konton. This is extremely reckless, and completely unlike you."

Kyoka sighed. "Truthfully, Seilah, I'm worried about the future of Tartaros." She admitted. "Ever since Lord Zeref has fallen and that demon that Lord Konton is calling E.N.D has appeared, I fear that Tartaros is slowly beginning to move away from our original goal. To reunite with Lord Zeref."

"Lady Kyoka, we reunited with Lord Zeref." Seilah reminded her. "And...we failed to protect him from the Alliance."

"I realize that, which is why we should be trying to save him from the Void the Alliance apparently had him sealed inside of."

"Lady Kyoka, you remember what Lord Konton said. The Void is inescapable." Seilah reminded her. "Attempting to rescue Lord Zeref is a fool's errand."

"A fool's errand that is our duty to undertake!" Kyoka exclaimed. "We are demons, created by Lord Zeref! We are his creations and he is our father! We must...we must try to save him! I can't stand the fact that Lord Konton has simply brushed him aside. And now even Lord Mard Geer seems to have forgotten about Lord Zeref in favor of that demon Lord Konton calls E.N.D. I resent them...both of them."

"I see…" Seilah sighed. "And you trusted me with all of this. You have no idea how much that means to me, Lady Kyoka. But still, you need to remember that this works only if we get Rakuen's cooperation. And nothing happens in that kingdom without Lord Konton knowing about it."

 _And I don't want to cross that monster._ Seilah thought back to that failed prison break back in Fiore, and what it had been like to report to Konton afterwards. She remembered the sheer terror from being in his presence. _Crossing him would be akin to suicide._

"The point is, I'm not sure you've thought this through. I'm worried that you've become so obsessed with Lord Zeref that you are becoming unnecessarily careless. I don't want anything to happen to you, Lady Kyoka."

Kyoka heaved a sigh. _Maybe she's right. I'm so overwhelmed with my passion for Lord Zeref that I've failed to actually take into account that no one in Rakuen would willingly share their technology with us without telling Lord Konton. And if Lord Konton doesn't execute us for going behind his back in such a manner, Lord Mard Geer will._

Kyoka took a deep breath, regaining her composure. "Yes, you're right." She said with a small smile. "Thank you, Seilah, truly. Without you keeping me grounded, I probably would've gotten myself killed inciting a useless rebellion. You truly are a valued comrade and a good friend, you know that-"

Kyoka was suddenly cut off by a pained yelp from Seilah. "Seilah!" She yelled in concern, spinning around to find out what was wrong.

Kyoka's eyes widened when her eyes were treated to the sight of Seilah desperately gasping for life. Her chest was marked by what appeared to be a butterfly. "Lady...Kyoka…" Seilah gasped out, reaching for Kyoka before suddenly vanishing, in her place a giant butterfly marking.

 _I didn't see it coming...but in a single moment...Seilah was struck down again by an enemy hidden in the shadows._ Kyoka frantically enhanced her eyes with her Enhancement Curse. _However, unlike Seilah, I can avoid sneak attacks like these far easier!_

Kyoka's eyes darted about, trying to find the hidden assailant. A shadow began moving towards her. _There!_ She pivoted on her feet and transformed her claws into sharp tendrils before swinging them at the shadow.

The shadow suddenly vanished from sight and landed on a nearby rock. Squad 2 Captain Soifon held an impassive gaze on her face as she stared down her foe. "Another Soul Reaper, huh?" Kyoka frowned. "And this one's even stronger than the last. What is your name, Soul Reaper?"

"I am the Captain of Squad 2, Soifon." Soifon introduced herself. "That was...my lieutenant you just struck down."

Kyoka looked back at Omaeda's body. "Oh, that, well I'm not going to apologize if that's what you're getting at. This is war, and you proceeded to strike down one of my comrades...of course, Seilah will simply get right back up thanks to Hell's Core."

Soifon looked at Omaeda and Flash Stepped past Kyoka. Kyoka narrowed her eyes. _I can follow her movements, but she's making no effort to attack me._

Soifon appeared by the body of her lieutenant. She kneeled down and stared impassively at his corpse. Her expression then softened. "Omaeda," she said softly, "Marechiyo...you fought well...I'm sure you did your best until the very end. I'm so sorry that it wasn't enough."

"But know that you fought well, and brought honor to your family's name and the Stealth Force." Soifon promised.

A single tear fell from Soifon's eye. "Damn...am I seriously getting emotional? The leader of the Stealth Force, getting like this..." She muttered before heaving a sigh. She rose to her feet. "Omaeda, rest well, I'll take over this fight, and win in your place."

"Are you finished mourning your fallen comrade?" Kyoka inquired curiously.

"I am," Soifon nodded, turning around, "I have to admit, it is something completely new to me. In the Stealth Force...you are not to mourn your fallen comrade. Instead, you are supposed to use it to your advantage and strike down your enemy when they're not focused on anything except for the dead."

"And yet, if I'm being completely honest...as soon as I saw Marechiyo's body...I just couldn't help myself." Soifon admitted. "I wouldn't have been able to catch you off guard. You had long taken your focus off of him."

"So tell me then, how does the death of your ally make you feel, if this is so new to you?" Kyoka inquired curiously.

Soifon narrowed her eyes. "Angry." She responded without hesitation. "This feeling in my heart, it's the same thing I felt when I thought my master selfishly abandoned me. It's anger. An emotion I thought I discarded to become a better leader that could surpass her. An emotion I thought I discarded after reconciling with her."

"But right now, for the first time in forever, I'm angry. And for the first time ever, I'm angry because you struck down my lieutenant." Soifon said with a deadly cold stare.

"I see," Kyoka smirked, "I like that look in your eyes. It just reminds me how human you are, and how passionate humans truly are."

Soifon took one last look at Omaeda. _Marechiyo, I never was a very good superior officer to you._ She noted. _No, that's not accurate. As far as being the leader of the Stealth Force and Squad 2 goes, I was a proper superior. But I never truly gave you your dues. You were a slob, you were lazy, smug and condescending. But you always fought your hardest out of loyalty to me, for my sake. And I never once acknowledged that. And I never can acknowledge that, now that you're gone, eh Marechiyo?_

 _In that regard, I failed as your superior. Even when I failed, Lady Yoruichi...she was always there to acknowledge me, and praise me in the areas I at least succeeded in. She always gave me my dues, no matter how many times I stumbled. And I couldn't even emulate that, and be a better superior officer to you, Marechiyo. For that, I'm sorry...God, that couldn't possibly be enough for you though. But that's all I can say. I'm so, so sorry, Marechiyo._

 _Maybe the least I can do...is win in your stead._

"Now, let us begin!" Soifon yelled, Flash Stepping towards Kyoka, aiming Suzumebachi right at Kyoka's chest.

 _Death in two steps, I'll end you quickly!_

Kyoka smirked. "I think not!" She yelled as her claws extended, catching Suzumebachi several feet away from her

Soifon narrowed her eyes. "Did you really think it would be that easy?" Kyoka asked curiously. "My Enhancement Curse can enhance anything, be it strength, pain, or senses. I'm enhancing my eyes. No matter how fast you are, you cannot vanish from my vision."

Soifon Flash Stepped away, putting some distance between herself and Kyoka on instinct. "I see, what a fool I was, thinking a fight with the one who killed my lieutenant would be easy."

"Oh my, so now you're talking him up now that he's dead?" Kyoka laughed. "You do realize how insincere that seems, right?"

Soifon looked hurt by that statement. Kyoka then sped towards her. "You've lost focus, you damn fool!" She yelled.

Soifon quickly vanished into a slipstream, avoiding Kyoka's claws with ease. "No, I haven't lost focus." She claimed. "I lived to fight for the Soul Society, ever since I was a child. Fighting and dying for the cause...has been my duty and my honor."

"Oh I see," Kyoka smirked, "then I guess you won't mind dying, right? It's your honor, after all!"

Kyoka swung her whip-like talons once more at Soifon. Soifon calmly sped about, creating 15 clones of herself. "Oh my?" Kyoka was surprised. "So you're fast enough to create clones of yourself? How impressive. You definitely have the speed to be the leader of the Stealth Force!"

"But I already told you, speed means nothing to my eyes now! I know exactly where the real you ended up!" And with that, Kyoka launched her talons at one particular clone, which was speeding towards the Etherious.

Kyoka pierced the 'real' Soifon, only for the clone to suddenly vanish. "What, that's impossible!" Kyoka yelled in surprise. "I know I followed you perfectly!"

"Utsusemi, the shedding of the cicada's shell." Soifon appeared behind Kyoka, making the Etherious gasp. "The ability to move at enough speeds to leave behind an afterimage."

Kyoka yelled in surprise as Soifon pierced her in the back with Suzumebachi. _Now, just one more strike and I'll end her!_ Soifon declared. _Experience the death in two steps!_

Kyoka then lit up in a green light as she spun around with speed comparable to Soifon and wrapped her right set of talons around that arm Suzumebachi was attached to. She trained her left set of talons on Soifon's face. Soifon narrowed her eyes. "You got faster." Soifon growled.

"I already told you, with my Enhancement Curse, I can exponentially increase anything. That's my power. Simple as it may be, it's all in how it's used."

Kyoka gazed at her back, taking note of the butterfly marking. _That mark...it's the same one that Seilah vanished in. I see, so this must be how she effectively assassinates her targets as the leader of the Stealth Force. The fact that I'm not dying so instantly though means there must be more to her ability._

"No matter," Kyoka chuckled, "now that I seem to properly understand your abilities, I should be able to avoid death easily."

Soifon scowled. "And besides, I have you trapped now. You can't move." Kyoka noted.

Soifon briefly struggled against Kyoka's bindings. Her eyes then widened as her mind flashed back to her captivity back in Fiore. All that time spent being bound to a wall. All the pain that Arrancar had inflicted upon her. All the cruel words he sent her way, just to break her spirit. She found herself trembling as all those memories wracked her mind.

Kyoka's eyes widened before giving a gleeful smirk. "Oh my," she said, "I know that look. That's the same look dear Titania had on her face as I broke her spirit."

 _Before she broke free and decided to inflict pain on me in response._ Kyoka frowned inwardly.

"You poor thing," Kyoka said with a clear lack of candor, "someone has tortured you, hasn't they? Someone has broken your spirit with pain, whether it was through physical or emotional abuse."

"Oh, this is too perfect!" Kyoka laughed. "I can't believe my luck in coming across someone as broken as you."

Soifon remained silent. "Would you like to experience it again?" She asked in an almost flirtatious tone, gently brushing her talons against Soifon's face. "It's a thrill I'd be more than happy to provide you."

Kyoka laughed cruelly, gazing at Soifon's horrified, traumatized expression. "Oh my, I haven't even started and you already look like you're finished. You poor thing, you really lack endurance. Perhaps I'll take you as a pet and work on that every night when I get back from slaughtering more of your allies."

"But first, let's hear you scream a bit. I want to see what I'm working with here." Kyoka grinned before extending the talons wrapped around Soifon to hoist her into the air like a fish on a fishing hook. "Here's what happens when I use my Enhancement Curse to enhance your pain!"

And with that cruel declaration, Kyoka began whipping her other set of talons against Soifon's body. "Now come on, let me hear those screams, Soul Reaper Captain! Show me just how much fine I'm going to have with my new playmate!"

Soifon winced as she felt every single blow rain down on her body. _It hurts. It hurts. It hurts_ She noted before her eyes widened. _But...it's strange...it feels like...I'm just taking a regular blow._

Kyoka frowned slightly. "No screams just yet, huh?" She muttered before yelling. "Alright, fine! I'll just enhance your pain sensors further! I will make you scream, do you hear me! Don't you dare act so damn tough, when you're as human as everyone else!"

Kyoka did as she promised and enhanced Soifon's pain even more. _It still hurts...but it's no different than before._ Soifon noted. _I don't understand...why…_

Soifon's eyes widened, remembering something her Lady Yoruichi had once told her. " _I once had a subordinate who ran afoul of a Hollow that had the ability to enhance pain."_ She had said. _"He went through so much torture, his body never properly recovered...to the point where he could no longer feel pain properly."_

" _As impressive as it is that he could fight without pain, I honestly don't recommend it."_ That was the grimmest Soifon had ever seen Yoruichi look. _"Feeling pain is not a weakness, it's a strength. It gives you an understanding of what your limits are and when you need to stop fighting and retreat to live and fight another day. Without that...you become reckless. That guy...he died a few months after. He would've lived had he known when to retreat."_

 _So that's what it is._ Soifon realized. _Heh...how amusing. It seems...I've been cursed with the same thing, huh Lady Yoruichi?_

At that moment, Soifon began to laugh, catching Kyoka off guard. "What...what the hell?" She muttered in surprise. "Has the pain made you go insane?"

"Oh no, it's not that I've gone insane...then again, maybe I have." Soifon acknowledged. "It's just...well, it's kind of amusing, actually. The truth is, that Arrancar that tortured me, he hurt me so badly that...I've almost become completely numb to pain. You can brag about enhancing my pain receptors all you want. But what you're doing to me right now, it was done to me so much during my days in captivity...that I've grown used to it."

"I wonder," Soifon grinned, "can you take it as well as you dish it out? What I'm saying is, can you take pain just as brutal?"

"Now," Soifon continued, "Mukyu Shunko!"

A powerful burst of Spirit Energy appeared around Soifon's body, forming into a powerful vortex of wind that ripped the talons wrapped around Soifon to shreds. Kyoka's eyes went wide before letting out a shriek of pain. "Damn you!" She yelled in pain. "My claws! My damn claws! This body was a gift from Lord Zeref! How dare you mar it in such a way!"

"You cannot be serious." Soifon deadpanned, gazing at Kyoka. "All that talk about torturing people, and you cannot even handle your own pain. How disappointing. Someone with as weak a constitution as you...would never make it into the Stealth Force."

"A weak constitution?!" Kyoka yelled indignantly. "I willingly sacrificed my very body to make Tartaros' dream a reality! Don't you dare tell me that I have no resolve! No constitution to make my ideals a reality!"

Kyoka's body began to undergo a metamorphosis into her Etherious Form. "I am Slave Star Kyoka, the ace of the Nine Demon Gates! For my honor! For Lord Zeref's honor! For the honor of my guild! I won't lose to you! Your life belongs to me!"

Soifon stood calmly as Kyoka pushed her body to the absolute limit. "Die!" Kyoka yelled, speeding towards her.

Kyoka's shredded talons had regenerated from her transformation. She began swinging them at Soifon, who parried each blow with her vortex-clad arms. _Damn it, no!_ Kyoka growled in frustration. _Why can't my claws break through? I just...I just need to Enhance my body further! That's what I need to do._

"Mukyu Shunko," Soifon said, "Ranryu!"

The vortex of Spirit Energy surrounding Soifon expanded around her. The force of the vortex pushed Kyoka away from Soifon. _She expanded her vortex's reach to push me away from her!_ Kyoka immediately realized. _A defensive technique that can double as an offensive technique with enough power behind it!_

 _However,_ Kyoka narrowed her eyes, _because I've enhanced my body so much, the offensive portion of this technique means nothing to me. She just caught me off guard and pushed me away._

Kyoka dug her heels into the ground before training her claws on Soifon's face. _Her body may be covered in a vortex of Spirit Energy as a defense, but defenses always have openings! Namely, that pretty little face! I'll run her through!_

Soifon seemed to teleport as she fled from Kyoka's renewed assault. The only thing she left behind was a small cyclone that vanished a few seconds later. "HYAH!" Kyoka yelled, sending powerful razors winds towards Soifon. "Mukyu Shunko: Ranryu." Soifon expanded the vortex surrounding her body once more to block Kyoka's razor winds.

Kyoka grinned. _And just as I thought, she has a cooldown period after using that Ranryu technique of hers. That's why she retreated earlier! That's when I'll take her down!_

Kyoka rushed Soifon, who continued to retreat backwards. _Now, let's see._ She thought to herself. _One one thousand, two one thousand, three one thousand, four one thousand, five one thousand!_ She thought before swinging another burst of razor winds towards Soifon.

"Mukyu Shunko: Ranryu!" Soifon expanded the vortex around her body once more, blasting away the razor winds.

 _Excellent, a five second cooldown! That's all I'll need to end this!_ Kyoka yelled. _One more Enhancement, that's all I need to finish this!_

Blood poured from Kyoka's eyes and mouth. _Even if this destroys my body, I'll push through regardless, for the sake of my ideals, for Lord Zeref and my fellow Etherious!_

One second. Two seconds. Three seconds. _I've got you!_ Kyoka declared.

Soifon then smirked, catching Kyoka off guard. "Mukyu Shunko: Zettai Inpei!" Soifon yelled before vanishing completely.

Kyoka's eyes widened in utter disbelief. _Wh...what? Where did she go? Where did she go?! WHERE DID SHE GO?! I didn't see where she went...I don't even sense her presence any longer! WHERE THE HELL DID SHE GO?!_

Something then pierced her back in the exact same spot as before. "Even though I've truly mastered Shunko, I'm an assassin first and foremost." Soifon said behind Kyoka. "That means, my greatest weapon will always be my Suzumebachi."

"How...how did you do that?" Kyoka weakly demanded.

"Zettai Inpei, Absolute Concealment, the power to conceal myself within the winds themselves." Soifon revealed. "For a brief two seconds, I can perfectly conceal my presence. Shunko, as a technique, is a combination of Kido and Flash Step. Zettai Inpei is the ultimate combination of both for a member of the Stealth Force."

"I...see…" Kyoka groaned. "And...what you just did was…"

"Completed the requirements of my Suzumebachi's power: Nigeki Kessatsu, death in two steps." Soifon revealed. "By striking you in the same place twice, I have injected you with a fatal poison, just as I did to your ally earlier."

Kyoka chuckled weakly. "Damn, so it's my loss this time." She lamented. "Oh well, not like this will be permanent."

Soifon frowned. "Like I told you," Kyoka continued with a smirk, "death is not the end for Etherious. I will be reborn within Hell's Core, and return one day for another round."

"Come back as many times as you want." Soifon challenged. "If it won't be me, I can assure you that someone else will be ready to bring you down, for the Alliance's goals."

Kyoka sighed. "Seriously," she muttered, "where do you humans find meaning in such resolve? What is it that...that makes you so special...that you're able to fight against creatures...like the...Etherious…"

Before Soifon could answer that question, Kyoka vanished completely from Soifon's Nigeki Kessatsu. Soifon heaved a small sigh of relief at her victory. _Without the techniques from Mukyu Shunko, I don't know if I could've won that fight._ Soifon acknowledged.

Soifon then returned to Omaeda's corpse and heaved a long sigh. "I really am sorry I couldn't save you, Marechiyo." She admitted. "I'll make sure you're returned home and buried with full honors...but I don't know what I'm going to tell your family, especially your little sister. Poor Mareyo…"

Soifon felt her cheeks become wet. She reached for her face and discovered they were tears. She was actually crying over the death of her lieutenant. _I don't believe this,_ she thought in disbelief, _I'm still sad. I'm still crying. In the years I've spent as the leader of the Stealth Force, I have never so much as shed a tear over the death of a comrade. I lose my lieutenant, and that's ultimately what breaks me._

 _I really shouldn't. My duty is to continue onwards, regardless of how many must lose their lives in the process...all is necessary in pursuit of victory._ Soifon noted. _And honestly, Marechiyo...was never the best lieutenant._

 _He was a slob. He was arrogant. He was lazy. Nothing about him was a proper lieutenant for any squad, let alone Squad 2, the Squad that was also responsible for the Stealth Force._

 _I never praised him for that reason. In fact, I was downright awful to him._ Soifon grimly acknowledged. _I took him for granted, never looked at the positive side he had to him, only the negative._

 _Heh, it's both amusing and not at the same time. In all my attempts to emulate and then surpass Lady Yoruichi, I forgot the most important quality she had as my mentor and superior. She was strict, but she never once stopped bringing out my positive traits, never stopped praising me for them. Was I so bitter over her departure that I willingly forgot that?_

 _No, I shouldn't make excuses. The fact that I was a poor excuse for a captain in this regard...the fault lies with no one but me. And now, with Marechiyo gone, I don't have any opportunities to make things right with him…_

"Captain Soifon!" Soifon looked over her shoulder to see several soldiers from her portion of the Stealth Division appear behind her. A soldier at the front gasped at the sight. "Is that...Lt. Omaeda?"

Soifon nodded. "Yes," she said, "Marechiyo...gave his life bravely in battle against the enemy…"

"I see...we had gone this way after coming across some soldiers retreating with Jozu's unconscious form. I guess...we were too late. My apologies, Captain."

"No, don't blame yourself. The blame lies with no one but the enemy." Soifon shook her head. "All of you, go on ahead, and find someone to protect from the shadows. Do your duty as members of the Allied Forces Stealth Division."

"And you, Captain?" The soldier at the front inquired.

"I can't leave him like this." Soifon gazed at Omaeda. "I must take him back so that he may be given a proper burial…"

The soldier gave a small smile at the respect Soifon was showing the dead. "Might I make an alternate suggestion, Ma'am?"

Soifon nodded. "I'm listening." She said with a slight frown. Some things never changed. She wished they would have just said yes and left her to it.

"Captain, while it is true that we have a duty to protect from the shadows...I do believe that as you are much stronger than us, you're far more capable of protecting our allies than a few grunts such as ourselves." The soldier pointed out. "Perhaps you should go on ahead. Junpei and Fuka can take Lt. Omaeda's body off your hands."

"Yes, of course, Captain, you can count on us." Said the young man named Junpei.

"We won't let anything happen to him on the way back." Fuka promised.

Soifon gazed at the three soldiers before nodding. "Request granted." She said. "I...failed to save Omaeda, so I don't know why you'd think I'd be any better at protecting anyone. However, as captain, I must respond to my subordinates' faith in me, yes?"

"If you failed, Ma'am, then anyone of us would have as well." The lead soldier sagely reminded her. "Please try to keep that in mind and don't be so hard on yourself. After all, you're still one of our leaders for a reason. We still have faith in you, for one thing."

"...What is your name, soldier?"

"Hidetoshi, Captain." Hidetoshi gave a respectful bow.

"You're a wise man, Hidetoshi." Soifon acknowledged. "Perhaps...superiors can benefit to hearing the words of their subordinates on occasion. Now, carry out your respective duties!"

"Yes ma'am!" The soldiers exclaimed. Junpei and Fuka made their way to Omaeda's body while Hidetoshi vanished to watch over his allies.

Soifon took one last look at the place Omaeda's body had been before Flash Stepping away. _I can't help but wonder now._ Soifon admitted to herself. _Was the real reason I tried to instill the concept of brushing off the death of comrades...because I just never could accept loss myself? Was it all just a facade to hide behind that?_

 _When I was a child, I resented my brothers for all dying and failing in their mission. I felt ashamed at their incompetence. At least, that was what I wanted to believe. Perhaps it was shame...but maybe that shame came from resentment that...they left their own sister behind._

 _And then, Lady Yoruichi ran from the Seireitei...and me. Maybe at some point, I just grew frustrated that people I was close with had a tendency to leave me for whatever reason, be it death or just some other duty that took them from me. And that just escalated into me coping by trying to instil this idea that in order to be an effective assassin, you had to brush off the deaths of comrades to continue onwards._

 _Why is this all coming to me now though? Was it my captivity? Waking up in chains every day, and wondering if anyone would actually care or miss me enough to come save me? Realizing that even though I demanded all to ignore the dying for the sake of the mission...I hypocritically wanted to be saved._

 _Most importantly though, I wonder...do I have any right to weep for someone when I was this horrible a person all this time?_ A few tears flew behind Soifon as she continued to run through Fishman Island.

 _For now though...I definitely must focus on the mission. I'll find my answer later._

Meanwhile, Yammy Riyalgo let out a hearty, victorious laugh as he stood over the defeated soldiers who had dared to challenge him and interfere with his meal. "Seriously," he said, "where the hell do you lot get off challenging me, huh? Don't you know who I am? Who you're dealing with here? I mean, those Soul Reapers had to have warned you that you don't mess with the Espada, right?"

"We're the strongest Arrancar in the universe! You can't challenge us and expect to come out alive unless you're the select few with the power to match us! If you don't fall in that category, you're just garbage! Worthless garbage!"

"Well, maybe not garbage." Yammy quickly corrected. "Garbage isn't exactly what I would call a tasty meal. At least here...you can actually serve a useful purpose for a change. Since you've been weakened...your souls can now become my latest meals! Gonzui!"

With that, Yammy quickly sucked up dozens of souls. After swallowing them all, the Espada laughed madly before noticing a few soldiers still stirring. Tenten, Karui, Wanda, Jenny, Jugo, all thankfully still alive due to being stronger souls then the foot soldiers of the Allied Forces, even when severely weakened and at death's door.

Yammy scowled at this. "Sheesh," he groaned, "what is it with you people resisting death, huh? Don't you realize that this is just going to make things more painful? Where the hell do you pieces of trash find meaning in resisting? I just. Don't. Get it."

"Just a thought, maybe that's because you're a psychopath with no real empathy for other people."

Yammy turned to see three new opponents standing before him. Darui, who had been the one who had spoken up anywhere, was glaring at Yammy. "But hey, like I said, it's just a thought. Feel free to take my advice any way you wish."

"Just coming out of the damn woodworks, huh?" Yammy frowned. "As much as I love an all you can eat buffet of fresh souls. You lot are seriously getting on my damn nerves."

"You'll find that's something we're very good at." Lyon Vastia responded.

Yammy scowled. "So it seems." He said. "I guess that makes sense. Bugs are pretty damn stubborn too. Crush one, and ten more take their place. And I've been crushing a lot of bugs lately, so this seemed inevitable."

"You know, you should probably take that as us having no intention of giving up." Darui deadpanned. "Not only that, but you should also take it as a sign that you're not going to win this in the long run."

Yammy let out a booming laugh at that statement. "You think you're the only ones who've planned for the long run? Idiots! This is war! Of course Lord Konton's already planned the long run. And I'm glad for that, because it means I can continue to devour tasty morsels like you."

"So, actual beasts don't want to eat me and you do?" Brook's mouth dropped open at this. "Oh come on, if I'm going to be eaten, at least let it not be because of cannibalism!"

"Or you could just not get eaten at all, Brook." Darui sighed. "Seriously, you might want to cut out that dull viewpoint."

"Now come on," Darui readied his blade, "we promised we'd take down the enemy and allow Naruto and the commander to make a beeline for Ryugyu Palace. I've never broken a promise to my superiors before, and I have no intent on starting now."

"Agreed." Lyon slammed a fist into an open palm. "Commander Fernandes is putting a lot of faith in us. For Lamia Scale's pride, I won't disappoint him."

Brook took a deep breath, pointing Soul Solid at Yammy. "And if possible...let's see if we can get those souls he's devoured back." He said softly.

"Yo, Brook…" Darui trailed off, unable to tell him that was probably asking too much of themselves.

"I know that death is sometimes unavoidable." Brook interrupted. "But it is my duty as a soldier and a friend to these people to try. Death is no excuse to break a promise. And it certainly isn't an excuse to not try and save your friends!"

Lyon gave a small smile. "Agreed." He said. "If that's the case, let's not just beat this oaf, but beat him quickly. I'm sure an Arrancar's digestive system works similarly when they devour souls. So the faster we beat him, the greater chance we'll have at saving everyone."

Yammy smirked. "Well now, we've got more feisty ones here. How delicious!" He licked his lips.

"If you think you can force me to cough up my feast, then I welcome you to try!" Yammy yelled, throwing his fists forward. "Bala!"

"Ice Make: Eagle!" Lyon countered Yammy's flurry of Balas with a flurry of frozen eagles.

"Gale Style: Laser Circus!" Darui decided to aid Lyon's counterattack with one of his own.

The combined attacks collided with Yammy's entire volley of Balas, destroying them easily. Yammy scowled slightly at the sight. Brook then took this opportunity to attack. Even if Yammy was massive from storing up his energy with eating and sleeping, all that did was make him a bigger target. And striking large targets quickly was something Brook excelled at.

Brook suddenly appeared behind Yammy, sheathing Soul Solid. "When did you get back there?" Yammy demanded.

 _I didn't even see that damn skeleton move!_

Brook ignored him. "Song of Scratches - Blizzard Slice!"

Yammy gasped as he felt Brook's strike from earlier. Ice quickly appeared around the wound. "The haunting chill of the underworld should not be underestimated." Brook told Yammy in a surprisingly serious tone of voice. "As a twisted soul such as yourself, you should know that."

 _Damn it, how the hell did he manage to cut through my Hierro so easily? With how much I've been storing up energy, that shouldn't be possible!_

Even Darui and Lyon were surprised. _Brook is strong, but that attack shouldn't have been as successful as it was._ Darui grimly acknowledged before smirking. _This is a welcome twist of fate._

"Lyon, let's support Brook with everything we've got!" Darui exclaimed.

Lyon got over his surprise over Brook's chilling attack working so well and smiled. "Yes, let's!" He nodded before calling out. "Brook, we're backing you up on this!"

"Yo ho ho ho! I usually take the lead when I'm on stage!" Brook said with glee. "Alright then, consider yourselves my band for this fight! Lyon, you'll be the drummer and Darui you'll be the bassist! And as always, the Soul King will be singing lead vocals and shredding guitar. I hope you're ready, Arrancar, because I'm about to play a number that will shake you to the bones!"

"Don't be so cocky!" Yammy yelled, recovering from Brook's attack and pivoting to smash the skeleton to dust with a single decisive blow.

"Yo ho!" Brook exclaimed before bouncing away from Yammy. "And here we go! Aubade Coup Droit!"

Brook thrusted Soul Solid forward, releasing a powerful compressed air blast that struck Yammy dead on in the chest. Yammy grit his teeth from the blow before roaring, shrugging off the pain with ease. Once again, Lyon and Darui were left surprised by the results of Brook's attack. "Hold on, he shrugged that one off? What was different?" Lyon muttered.

"I don't know, but don't let up!" Darui yelled, raising his blade in the air and imbuing it with his Chakra. "Gale Style: Light Whip!"

The blade lit up in a light blue light before Darui began swinging it forward. The blade seemed to extend outwards in that light blue light, creating a large whip similar to that of Renji Abarai's Zabimaru.

Yammy looked over his shoulder just as Darui's Light Whip attack began striking him repeatedly. He yelled in pain as the attack tore through his Hierro and into his flesh. "Cero Infierno!" Yammy yelled as the area around him exploded in bright Spirit Energy, blasting Darui's Light Whip away from him.

Darui nodded in understanding. "We can damage him." He acknowledged. "But I think I'll put my faith in the idea of Brook being the one to finish him. That first attack...was actually enough to make him pause."

Lyon nodded. "Then we'll just damage him and allow Brook to land the finishing blow." He said in agreement. "Ice Make: Snow Dragon!"

A giant ice dragon appeared and flew towards Yammy. Yammy narrowed his eyes and grabbed the jaws of the dragon, stopping it in its tracks. "Brook!" Darui yelled. "I don't know how you managed it before, but you need to figure out how you were able to damage him as much as you did!"

"Well, it's not like I did anything different with my Song of Scratches!" Brook yelled back. "Seriously, Darui, I have no idea what made my attacks so special because I didn't do anything special!"

"You ain't gonna get far with such dull, limited thinking, Brook!" Darui told him. "Just because you don't try to do anything special, doesn't make what you do not special! What makes something special comes from right here!"

Darui pointed at his chest. "Special ain't just something you try for, you know! It's something you've gotta believe in! Aren't you a musician?"

Brook's mouth dropped open. "Come on, I thought you musicians thought that the best music comes from the heart, not from the head!" Darui yelled, doing his best to encourage him. "If that's the case, then just do your best and believe that the 'music' you make is special, you moron!"

Yammy then ripped the ice dragon in half from the mouth down. "Stupid flys!" He yelled, "I'll blow you all away!"

"Ice Burn!" Brook quickly drew and then sheathed Soul Solid, slashing it across the ground and freezing the entire area immediately surrounding him.

Yammy's eyes widened as he lost his balance and slipped backwards. He was falling towards Brook. Brook shrieked in terror. "Oh crap, I did not think that through!" He yelled before running to the side and letting Yammy fall onto his back.

"Now freeze!" Lyon yelled, adding more ice to the ground and encasing Yammy in that ice.

"Lyon, give me a platform!" Darui yelled. "Brook, get everyone out of the way for this!"

Lyon grinned. "Coming right up!" He yelled, creating a massive block of ice for Darui to easily climb up, displaying incredible Chakra control.

Darui then used the platform to propel himself into the air, above Yammy. "Even if our attacks can't hurt you like Brook's can, you better believe this is going to hurt, you big bastard! Brook, is everyone okay?"

Brook gave a quick salute. "Yes, Darui!" He exclaimed. In the span of a few moments, Brook had actually moved fast enough to not only safely pick up the five living, critically wounded soldiers, but also all of the dead ones, because he still believed he could recover their souls. Brook was not one of the faster Straw Hats for nothing.

"Gale Style!" Darui exclaimed. "Holy Arrow!"

Darui created a massive arrow of blue light, somewhat similar to Sasuke Uchiha's Indra Arrow (albeit with much, much less power). Yelling out with every ounce of strength he could muster, Darui positioned the arrow's trajectory to aim right at the immobile Yammy, who was staring up at the arrow in disbelief.

"Fall, Arrancar!" Darui yelled, letting the giant arrow rain down on Yammy.

The arrow exploded in a bright flash of light blue light, enveloping Yammy in the blast. Darui landed on the ground, panting slightly from the exertion. _Whew, still haven't perfected that move yet. I'd love to be able to fire that off one day without using so much Chakra in one blast._

Yammy then let out a bloodcurdling roar as he rose from the ground. His clothes from the waist-up had been vaporized and he was charred all over, but he was still ready to fight. "Idiots! The lot of you!" Yammy yelled. "All you do is piss me off! Don't you realize it? All you're doing is making your deaths a lot messier!"

Lyon noticed something off about Yammy's chest: his Espada tattoo. "Guys, look!" He exclaimed. "His tattoo...the one is starting to break off."

Darui narrowed his eyes. "We expected this. His description matches the reports we got on the Espada. This guy...he's the one who can change his rank from 10 to 0. We've been fighting the strongest Espada this whole time."

"Damn straight, I'm Yammy Riyalgo! The strongest Espada! Everyone else you've fought against or will fight against! They're nothing but garbage! Every last one of them!"

Brook scowled. "I can't believe he'd mock the souls of warriors who fought and bled alongside him."

"What would you expect at this point?" Lyon asked. "Guys like him rarely care about their allies."

"Still...this Spiritual Pressure is something." Darui muttered. "I can't believe a corrupted soul like this can not only have the power to harm the 'living' but also pressure us with its mere presence."

"So you understand!" Yammy yelled. "Soul Reapers...Arrancars...it all means nothing! I'm the apex predator! I'm the supreme being! An entity of pure wrath and hatred for all those who are weaker than me!"

"The only reason I ever followed Lord Aizen...the only reason I follow Lord Konton now...is because they both proved themselves somehow able to surpass the apex predator!"

"Then...that means you're not an apex predator." Darui muttered.

"This is the strength of a soul that has spent months storing up power!" Yammy declared. "A bunch of flies like you can't possibly hope to compare to that!"

This made Brook frown. "The strength of a soul you say?" He mused, calmly walking up to Yammy. "All I see is a soul that has become corrupted by vices such as wrath and bloodlust. Then again...my soul is near-consumed by lust for cuties and their panties, so who am I to talk."

Darui and Lyon sweat-dropped at Brook's words. "That being said, a soul that is as corrupted as you are," Brook continued, "cannot hope to compare to a soul like mine!"

"Ha! You expect me to believe that crap!" Yammy yelled. "You're just an insignificant bag of bones! How could your soul compare to me?"

"Because my soul, at its core is fueled with one thing! Passion!" Brook yelled. "Passion for music! Passion for panties! Passion for adventure! And most importantly, passion for my friends!"

Yammy suddenly froze in place. _His words...no way...I actually flinched from his words? What is the meaning of this?_

"I am the musician of the man who will be King of the Pirates, the musician of wonderful shipmates who welcomed me into their family with open arms. With such passion for such wonderful people, how could my soul possibly be weaker than yours?" Brook demanded before whipping out his guitar...seemingly out of nowhere. "Allow me to play you, a song straight from my heart! Straight from my soul!"

"Cut that crap!" Yammy yelled before Brook strummed downwards on his guitar, hard.

Suddenly, an astral projection of Brook's soul appeared above the skeleton man. Or rather, Brook's actual soul. Amazingly, Brook's soul was so large, it was actually matching Yammy in size...and it was still growing. Yammy yelled in surprise before stepping back from the sheer energy behind it.

"No way!" He yelled in disbelief. "I'm retreating from a soul? No, I'm even shaking?!"

Brook's eyes widened. "Hey, Darui," he said, coming to a realization, "I think I now know...why my attacks have damaged him more than yours and Lyon's."

"The Revive Revive Fruit." Brook revealed. "The Devil Fruit that has not only given me a second life to use in service of my new family and to keep my promise to an old friend, but also allowed me to weaponize the strength of my soul!"

"WHAT?!" Yammy exclaimed in shock.

Brook smirked. "I'm the Soul King for a reason!" He declared, not realizing there was an actual Soul King from the Soul Society. "And befitting my regal title, I can overwhelm other souls with the strength of mine!"

"You can't be serious!" Yammy yelled. "No way in hell can your soul overwhelm me! I'm Espada Zero, damn it! No way is your soul strong enough to do that!"

"Don't you get it?" Brook demanded. "My soul is fueled by many things, typically expressed through music. Most importantly, it is fueled by the passion and the determination to fight for the people I love! Someone like you, who is only fueled by wrath, can never hope to match such strength! My power...comes from the love I have for my crew. Our bonds...fuel my soul with determination you can't hope to surpass!"

At that moment, Brook's soul actually caught fire, much to the shock of Lyon and Darui. "Hold on, I thought his soul was infused with the chill of the underworld." Darui muttered. "Those flames...are literally the exact opposite!"

"There's more to a soul then the frigid temperatures of the underworld." Brook claimed. "Where there is the chill of death...one can also find the flame of life! This is my soul's flame! Its passion, its determination, its _pure manly spirit_!"

 _I get it now, this is what I was feeling before._ Brook realized. _It wasn't just anger. It was passion, to not only fight to avenge the fallen, but also to fight to make sure that doesn't happen to the people I love! I lost my friends once...I refuse to go through it again! And my soul, responding to that determination, has been set ablaze!_

Brook then crouched down. "My soul burns!" He declared before leaping forward. "Flame Bone Sword: Gavotte Bond en Avant!"

Brook's entire form was encased in flames as he propelled himself straight through Yammy. Yammy yelled in surprise, pain and disbelief as a massive hole was created in his massive right pectoral. Darui and Lyon both gaped in shock at the stunning display of power from a member of the Straw Hats who was not a part of the Monster Trio. Darui then got over his surprise and smirked approvingly. _Not bad, Skeleton Man._

As Yammy began to stumble backwards, the Zero Espada gave a small smirk. "Perhaps there is some truth to what you say." He acknowledged before giving a depraved smirk. "If that's the case, I wonder what would happen if I made you my latest meal."

Brook's eyes widened. "Oh no!" He shrieked. "Please don't eat me!"

Darui and Lyon gaped in confusion as Brook's soul suddenly exited his body. "Brook, no!" Lyon yelled. "If you exit your body like that, you'll be vulnerable!"

Brook's soul ignored Lyon and continued to flee from Yammy, only for the heavily injured Espada to catch his soul in his bare hands. "Brook!" Darui and Lyon yelled in concern.

Yammy let out a sadistic laugh as he opened up his mouth. "Thank you for the meal." He said cruelly before devouring the screaming Brook's soul in one bite.

Yammy licked his lips. "Now that was a tasty meal." He acknowledged. "I can already feel his power coursing through my body-"

And just like that, Yammy immediately regretted that decision...

Yammy's eyes suddenly bulged out as he clutched his stomach. His stomach. His stomach felt like like molten lava was burning it. "F-fire?" He muttered in pain and disbelief. "I don't understand...what's happening to me?"

Darui and Lyon's mouths dropped open. Yammy yelled in pain as his body began to char from whatever it was that was burning him from the inside out. He thrashed about, desperately trying to alleviate the pain in some way. "It hurts!" He screamed. "It hurts! What is happening to me?!"

Yammy then gasped in realization. "Wait...this sensation. That damn skeleton...his damn soul…"

"That's impossible!" Yammy yelled. "His very soul is incinerating me from the inside out?! That's just not possible! How can one man's soul be this strong? What kind of power is this?!"

As Yammy let out a ground-shaking scream, Brook's soul suddenly came rocketing out of his mouth...along with the souls of the other soldiers who had been unlucky enough to be devoured by Yammy. Brook's soul reentered his body. He stood triumphantly as Yammy continued to thrash about while burning from the sheer intensity of Brook's soul.

"It's not like it's anything special." Brook responded to Yammy's demands. "My soul simply burns with sheer passion and determination. You were a fool to think you could devour a soul like that!"

"GYAGH!" Yammy screamed before being enveloped completely in the flames of Brook's soul.

Then, just as quickly, the flames went out and Yammy was gone. Darui frowned. "Son of a bitch, he escaped."

"Yeah, but I seriously doubt he's going to get up for awhile after that." Lyon added. He then took a look at all the soldiers whose souls had been devoured by Yammy. They were all starting to awaken. "More importantly, it looks like Brook's faith that we could save the others was justified."

"Yeah, you're right, that takes priority." Darui acknowledged before calling out to Brook. "Yo, Brook, did you seriously lead the souls out of that dude's stomach? That's awesome!"

"Well of course I did." Brook smiled triumphantly. "I am the Soul King after all. It's the Soul King's duty to lead wayward souls!"

Once again, I would like to reiterate that Brook has no actual knowledge of the Soul Society's Soul King. It was not necessarily blasphemy, just ignorance.

"Hey, Darui, Lyon!" Brook called out. "You know, this new breakthrough in power is getting my creative juices flowing! I've gotta come up with a song title that perfectly shows off this feeling!"

"Maybe wait until after the fight, Brook." Lyon suggested.

"I can multitask!" Brook insisted. "I'm gonna write a song that'll make your bones rattle! It'll even make my heart soar! And let me tell you, that says a lot since I don't have a working heart, yo ho ho ho ho!"

"...I think this win might've gone to his head, Darui." Lyon muttered.

"Let him enjoy it." Darui brushed the matter off with a small smile. "He's earned it."

Elsewhere, Ulquiorra Cifer frowned slightly when he felt Yammy's Spiritual Pressure simply vanish. "So, Yammy's been defeated." He mused as he dusted himself off, having finally recovered from that blast from Jenny Realight's Anti-Matter Laser. "Without anyone to keep a leash on him, I suppose that was to be expected…"

Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes. "Still, to have that level of power...it appears Yammy had been holding out on the rest of the Espada. Or rather, he was Lord Aizen's secret weapon all along…"

Ulquiorra then let out a light gasp. "Is this envy? No...it's...distrust? Am I actually feeling distrustful of Lord Aizen for hiding such a secret from his loyal subordinates?"

Ulquiorra shook his head. "Bah, do not let yourself be consumed by such petty feelings, Ulquiorra, even if the heart is something you are trying to study now. You always knew that Lord Aizen felt nothing for us. We were his pawns, his humble servants. A role we embraced and should have remembered. Anyone of us who actually had any delusions that Lord Aizen felt anything for them was nothing but a fool."

Ulquiorra then took a moment to sense for nearby enemies. "The area Yammy and I had been assigned to guard is lost." He acknowledged.

"So, since I am still combat ready, I must focus my efforts on places I can actually hope to make a difference in." Ulquiorra continued to search for particularly strong foes. "And that means I must find someone who's defeat will tip the battle back into our favor."

Ulquiorra's eyes then widened when he felt the energy of Naruto Uzumaki once more. At that moment, his desire for a rematch returned before. But wait...Naruto's Chakra was spread out. He did not know where Naruto actually was.

Ulquiorra frowned, realizing what the problem was. "Shadow Clones." He muttered. "When they told me in the reports that was one of his go-to moves, I didn't realize they meant it was that much his go-to. Honestly, he uses Shadow Clones the way that Ichigo Kurosaki uses that Getsuga Tensho attack of his."

Ulquiorra gasped. "Was that...humor?" He wondered.

"Bah, don't lose focus, Ulquiorra." He muttered before staring out at the direction of the nearest source of Naruto's Chakra. "Anyway, if he really has spread himself out like this with Shadow Clones, then the only logical course of action is to go hunting. I'll take out each of his clones one by one until I find the real Naruto Uzumaki."

With his resolve set, Ulquiorra vanished via Sonido. His destination: the nearest Shadow Clone of Naruto Uzumaki, hoping it was the real thing.

"Master Sagi!" Sagi perked up at his name from inside the throne room of Ryugyu Palace.

Sagi had made himself at home on the throne that once belonged to King Neptune. "What?" He demanded, his voice robotic as always from the Faux Man he was currently inhabiting.

"We just received word that a few districts on the island have fallen under Alliance control." A soldier nervously responded while holding a salute. "Not only that, but we seem to have lost contact with Kyoka, Seilah, and Yammy."

Back at Rakuen, the real Sagi scowled. "No surprise," the Circle of Fraud brushed the matter off, "honestly, the very idea of us being able to rely on a bunch of lower lifeforms was idiotic. Lower trash is just that. Trash. Nothing compared to the likes of us. It's science. The only decent thing they ever did in their worthless lives besides act as cannon fodder was create surprisingly decent inventions to cover up for their weakness. That is science too. Weak lifeforms create and innovate to cover up their weaknesses."

"Err...Master Sagi." No one in Rakuen liked to hear Sagi ramble. Even the soldiers who were utterly frightened of him.

Sagi scoffed. "Well, whatever, like I said, they're just cannon fodder. And besides, the more they win, the closer they get to my trap. Is everything ready?"

"Of course, Sir." The soldier said. "But, Master Sagi, with how much we still have in stock, this has a chance of backfiring tremendously. Is this truly the best way to win this battle?"

"Oh?" This caught Sagi's attention. "Am I seriously hearing doubts from a peon? I know I'm not hearing that."

"I mean," the soldier nervously continued, "we're running a huge risk here. If we dump those barrels so recklessly all at once, we run the risk of our men being caught up in this plan of yours. Don't you think there's a simpler way to win if we really do have the advantage in strength?"

"You know, if I wanted the opinion of someone beneath me, I would just go talk to the rabble from the _other_ worlds." Sagi responded.

"Ah! I'm so sorry!"

Sagi sighed. "Just as science requires sacrifice, victory requires the same. You cannot hope to achieve anything without that mindset. Dangerous ideas? Immoral experiments and innovations? The universe only got to where it was today through its willingness to get its hands dirty. Fools who lack the resolve to force change and innovation on the useless, ignorant masses have no right to lead the universe into a more prosperous age."

"Oh...yes, I suppose you do have a point there, Master Sagi. Forgive me. I won't speak my mind on the matter again!" The soldier ran away before he could anger the Circle even more than he already had.

Sagi's real body and robotic body tensed up simultaneously in anger as some rather unpleasant memories came back to him. "Dangerous ideas? Immoral experiments and innovations?" Sagi repeated to himself before chuckling. "You were such a fool back then, and you are a fool now."

"But not only are you a fool, you are an utterly impossible man to forgive." Sagi continued. "You humiliated me. Even back then, I was one of your finest researchers. I was going to take Menou into an even greater, more prosperous age. But you couldn't have that. Your 'traditions', your 'admiration', your 'concerns', ruined everything. That was your biggest mistake. I am not someone that even you are allowed to look down on and deny."

"The truth is, as much as Lord Konton despises you. I think I hate you even more." Sagi admitted. "You got in the way of progress. You got in the way of my triumph. Your actions made me stagnant, like those mindless cretins who adore you."

Sagi chuckled. "The peace your kingdom claimed to have? It's the biggest joke I've ever seen. Just a bunch of ignoramuses with no sense of progress."

"I can't wait to step all over you and your kingdom on Rakuen's path to universal domination. I'm going to enjoy every minute of it. Consider what I'm going to do to your precious friends the opening act of my revenge...King Chitsujo."

 **A.N: Brook's victory over Yammy, consider that my tribute to one of the great anime characters of all time. The Lion Sin, Lord Escanor. RIP, you brilliant OP man. RIP and Praise the Sun.**


	23. Chapter 23: Big Announcement

Hello everyone. This message will most likely be overdue by the time I post this, but all the same, Merry Christmas. Obviously, this is not a chapter. Rather, it is an incredibly exciting announcement that I have been looking forward to sharing with you all.

After years of writing, editing, and rewriting, my very first original novel: **Age of Heroes: The Hero and the Disciple** , has been published onto Amazon's Kindle Store. Book 1 of what I hope to be a long and enjoyable series. It is a YA Fantasy novel that is basically my love letter to all the anime that had inspired me during my teen years.

It is the tale of two young men and their journeys. One, a meek blacksmith's apprentice lacking the confidence to chase his dream of heroism. The other, an eccentric hero who travels the land taking jobs for cheap wages.

The entire process was long, but extremely rewarding. And if you all have been enjoying my fanfiction, I think you will enjoy my first ever published, original work. The first of many, I hope.

You will find it if you search my pen name: Nicholas Drew, in the Kindle Store. For only $7.99, the book is yours, electronically. If you would prefer hard copies though, I'll be working on getting paperbacks printed as well.

It would mean the world to me if you would consider checking out and hopefully buying my book. Also, consider leaving positive reviews as well, via Amazon. Positive reviews help me gain more traction online, but any feedback as to where I can improve can be sent to this account via personal message.

I want to thank everyone for all the support they've given me over the years, whether it was through kind words or encouragement. I doubt I could've persevered without it. And of course, I also must give glory to God. Through Him, I was blessed with such a wonderful talent to use in His honor.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I look forward to seeing you all over at Amazon. Again, that is **Age of Heroes: The Hero and the Disciple, by Nicholas Drew** on the Amazon Kindle Store.


	24. Chapter 24: Reversal

**A.N: Happy new year, everyone. Holy smokes, 2020. So first of all, super big announcement for anyone who missed it. Age of Heroes: The Hero and the Disciple, is now available on Amazon's Kindle Store, under my pen name, Nicholas Drew. for $7.99, the book is yours. Once you read, please remember to leave positive reviews to help me gain traction on the site. Anything on where I can improve can be sent via PM as always, as I'm always looking to improve.**

 **Also, I want to make a personal offer to any artists out there. If anyone wants to perhaps draw cover pages for the works I have on this site, or even just fanart of scenes and characters, just PM me and we will discuss the details.** **I'll of course do my best to advertise the images on my profile and in my chapters when they are done.** **It's the New Year folks, so I want to do a few things differently, rather than just stay stagnant.**

 **Anyway, enough plugging and making offers, enjoy the One Piece Campaign Chapter.**

 **Chapter 23: Reversal**

The tide was slowly beginning to turn in various areas for the Allied Forces. However, they still had to fight for practically every inch across the mainland of Fishman Island. However, a particular power trio was tearing their way through a line of soldiers right up the middle. "Meteor!" Jellal Fernandes led the way, sending them flying into the air.

"Circle Sword!" Erza Scarlet managed to send others flying into the air.

"Nice one!" Naruto Uzumaki let out a cheer like he was at a sporting event.

Naruto then froze in place before he could continue moving any further. A rush of memories suddenly came back to him. A speeding silhouette. His own head flying off his body. And then, darkness, nothing else. "Umm...what?" He muttered flatly, pale with terror from the particularly horrifying death he had just witnessed.

" **Oh calm down,"** Kurama said to him from within his mind, **"this is literally the millionth time you've gotten the memories of a Shadow Clone dying. Don't act like it's suddenly a new concept."**

" _Oh shut up, that was brutal and you know it! So forgive me if I'm a little disturbed by it!"_ Naruto indignantly responded to his Tailed Beast.

" **Naruto, your Shadow Clones have been disintegrated by bones that turn you to ash. They've been blasted away by Rinnegan and Sharingan powers. And you want to complain about decapitation?"**

" _YES!"_ Naruto yelled. _"Yes, I do want to complain about that!"_

Kurama gazed at Naruto in disbelief before heaving a tired sigh. **"I give up."** He groaned. **"You are my best friend-and only friend, honestly, I seriously doubt my brothers and sisters actually consider me a friend. More like that annoying sibling nobody likes having at family gatherings-but my God, you are exhausting sometimes."**

" _If you are my friend you can at least offer me words that are the exact opposite of what you're saying to me right now!"_ Naruto shot back before freezing in place once more.

Kurama raised an eyebrow. **"Whoa, and now a hand right through the heart. Huh, and whoever did that moved just like the decapitator did. I wonder if they are the same person. If they are, it's pretty impressive how fast they are."**

" _Kurama, this is insane."_ Naruto was now a bit calmer. _"Because of our connection, I can sense negative emotions. But how is this guy getting the drop on me?"_

Kurama hummed thoughtfully at that. **"I'm not sure,"** he admitted, **"I mean, I can detect negative emotions too. That's my deal. But...I couldn't detect anything either."**

" **It's like, whoever attacked your clones is almost entirely devoid of negative emotions. Maybe he's even devoid of emotions all together."**

" _That is...disturbing and sad at the same time."_ Naruto admitted. _"It shouldn't be possible either. How could someone be entirely devoid of emotion? I mean, they have to have some sort of emotion, right? Whether it's positive or negative, it has to exist somewhere. I mean, there's no such thing as a perfectly emotionless person, right?"_

"Naruto!" Naruto was cut from his thoughts by the sound of Erza's voice.

Naruto turned to Jellal and Erza. "Er...sorry, spacing out." Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Kurama and I had some stuff to talk about."

Jellal heaved a sigh. "Seriously?" He groaned. "Naruto, come on, we're finally making progress in this battle and you're chatting with Kurama?"

"Sorry, sorry, it's just that there's some guy who's apparently coming after my Shadow Clones." Naruto explained. "And I mean coming after. Like, whoever it is, is absolutely tearing ass through my Shadow Clones…"

Naruto trailed off as more memories came back. A speeding silhouette and then the Shadow Clone was practically folded in half backwards as something was driven right into his back. "Oh man, I actually felt that one." Naruto rubbed his back, trying to alleviate the phantom soreness he was currently feeling.

"Another Shadow Clone was destroyed?" Jellal was surprised to hear this.

"Yeah, I know right?" Naruto sighed. "Man, I've never really gotten freaked out by my Shadow Clones getting killed. Must be because of how sudden it is."

Jellal hummed at that. He knew that this was not something he could simply ignore. Even if they were Shadow Clones that were significantly weaker than the real thing, there was one thing he could not ignore: those clones were still Naruto Uzumaki. As in, they were still fragments of one of the most powerful, most destructive forces in the entire Alliance. If there was someone out there strong enough to basically turn killing Shadow Clones of Naruto Uzumaki into a sport, they needed to be worried about this.

However, they also could not pause in their march to the palace. From what they could gather from Stealth Division soldiers who had gone on ahead recently, a lot of Coalition direction seemed to come from Ryugu Palace. That meant if they took the palace, they took the 'brain' behind this stronghold. That meant they won.

However, Jellal also had to consider something else: the state of his soldiers. There was no way that those Shadow Clones were alone. There were most likely soldiers near all of them. No, not most likely. There were definitely soldiers near them. Naruto would never let his Shadow Clones away from groups of people he needed to protect. And if there was someone hunting Naruto's Shadow Clones, that meant that the soldiers near those clones were in danger as well.

Jellal wanted to win, desperately. He wanted this war to end for both unselfish and selfish reasons. The unselfish part was simply because he wanted to fight for a just cause. The selfish part was his desire for atonement for everything he had done to Erza and the rest of Fairy Tail.

But, no matter how badly Jellal wanted to win, one thing was certain. There was no way in hell he was going to senselessly sacrifice his own men to do it. He took a deep breath, knowing what he had to do. "Naruto," he said, "consider this an order from your commanding officer."

Naruto's eyes widened. Jellal was a pretty serious guy, but hanging around Fairy Tail had given way for some well-hidden goofy moments he had come to expect from the guild members. "Jellal...I understand, what do you need from me?"

Jellal turned around. "Can you broadcast your location to this mystery assassin of yours?" He asked. "Can you tell...whoever this is, where you really are?"

Naruto immediately realized what Jellal wanted of him. He took a deep breath and nodded. "I can," he responded, "I can do that."

"...Then best of luck, soldier." Jellal told him.

Erza, at that moment, realized what Jellal and Naruto intended to do and immediately voiced her objections. "No way!" She yelled. "Jellal, we do not leave our friends behind!"

"This is not abandoning anyone, Erza." Jellal claimed. "This is faith. This is faith that our friend...can win no matter who he is put up against. I believe in Naruto. Can you believe in him? The way you do for Natsu and myself?"

This silenced Erza. The scarlet-haired woman was surprisingly stubborn in this. Perhaps it was because the last time they had all left Naruto alone, he and Ichigo had almost fought to the death thanks to Nirvana's influence.

Naruto then gave her a big smile and a thumbs up. "I ain't gonna die, Erza." He promised. "Not yet. I still haven't become Hokage yet."

"And more importantly," he continued, "I don't want to make my friends sad by just leaving them like that."

" **You know,"** Kurama spoke up, **"considering that I'm your tenant, higher on that list of priorities should be avoiding getting me killed. I'm kinda tethered to you, idiot."**

Naruto ignored Kurama's biting sarcasm and took a seat in a meditative position. He clapped his hands together, closed his eyes, and allowed his Chakra to become visible. Jellal and Erza instinctively took a step back at the sight, both shocked by the size and density of the Jinchuriki's Chakra.

"So even after all the Shadow Clones he created, Naruto still has this much power." Jellal mused. "Sheesh, you really are strong."

A Shadow Clone suddenly appeared at the meditating Naruto's side. This clone walked up to Erza and Jellal. "Just think of me as his eyes to stay up to date with whatever is happening with you." The clone explained.

Erza smiled instinctively at Naruto's candor. _No matter what the situation is, you're always looking out for others first and foremost._ She noted. _Considering how you grew up...that shouldn't be the case. You had every right to become selfish, because of how the universe had treated you. No sane person would have blamed you for it, either. No sane person_ _ **should**_ _have blamed you for it._

 _But...look how you turned out._ Erza chuckled inwardly. _Seriously, Naruto Uzumaki, you are something else...simply amazing._

"Commander!" Jellal was drawn to the sound of one of his troops calling out to him. "We need to keep moving, before the enemy has a chance to regroup."

Jellal nodded in understanding. "Do your best, Naruto." Jellal told him before running forward with the Shadow Clone, leaving Erza alone with the real one.

"Naruto, I…" Erza began before trailing off. After a moment, she continued with a confident smile. "No, I won't tell you good luck. You don't need it. Because you...well, I just can't help but feel like telling you good luck at this point is an insult to you, and all the strength you've worked so hard to obtain."

"Heh, listen to me," Erza chuckled, "here I am, talking like I've known you forever...when saying stuff like that is more suited for someone who's been there for you from the start. And yet...perhaps it's because we're friends now that I feel qualified to say it."

"I won't say good luck, Naruto." Erza told him. "Instead...win. Just win. Show whoever's doing this...that the biggest mistake they made was picking a fight with Naruto Uzumaki."

At that moment, a small smile curled on Naruto's face. "Erza!" Erza heard Jellal call out to her. "Come on, we have to get moving!"

Erza nodded in understanding and ran after Jellal and the rest of the troops marching with them. **"That woman,"** Kurama shook his head, **"she's got Kushina's fiery personality, but the 4th Hokage's unwavering faith in others. I really should hate her, considering how things went between me and your folks. But at the same time...I can't help but respect her. She's something else."**

Naruto remained silent, making Kurama realized that the hyperactive ninja was actually laser-focused at the moment. His eyes widened, seeing just why that was. More memories of dead Shadow Clones were being given to the real Naruto. He was remaining calm and focused so as not to frighten Erza and Jellal.

 _ **Whoever's killing those Shadow Clones so quickly and efficiently is unsettling.**_ Kurama admitted to himself. _**And we're broadcasting our location to 'em. Well, I guess when you're one of the strongest, most threatening members in an entire army, you've got to learn to expect this kind of stuff.**_

 _ **I've got faith in you too though, Naruto.**_ Kurama continued. _**So when this guy decides to come and fight the real deal...let's kick his ass into the next century.**_

Elsewhere, Ulquiorra Cifer stood over a vanishing Shadow Clone with his usual dispassionate expression. "I still cannot find the real one...how vexing." He mused, surprisingly nonchalant considering how he was currently surrounded by several angry and determined Alliance soldiers.

Then, his attention was drawn to a suddens pike of orange chakra that fired off into the air, like a pillar of light. At that moment, Ulquiorra completely forgot the existence of all the soldiers surrounding him, and turned his attention entirely to that pillar. "That appears to be an invitation...I see he has no intention of coming to me like Ichigo Kurosaki." Ulquiorra noted. "Very well, for now, I'll play along."

With that, Ulquiorra Sonido'd right past the Alliance soldiers who had been trying to challenge him in spite of the sheer difference in power. "Wh-what the hell?" One exclaimed. "Why the hell did he just leave us?"

"I...I don't know." Another responded. "Do you think it has anything to do with that Chakra signature that just shot up like a freaking rocket?"

"That Chakra signature...it's Naruto's!" A third pointed out. "That Arrancar only took out the Shadow Clone that was left with us."

"Wait, so then he's going after the real Naruto?" The second soldier gasped in realization.

"He must have a few screws loose if he thinks going after the real Naruto is a safe bet." The first soldier regained his composure. "That bastard's going down as soon as he runs into him!"

"Idiot! The fact that he knows who he's attacking and is still going after him should tell you all you need to know about how strong he is. If he really thinks he can fight the real Naruto Uzumaki and win is a problem." The third soldier pointed out sagely.

"So what then, you think we need to go to where the real Naruto is?" The second soldier asked. "I mean, I don't mind. He's a friend. We should be helping our allies if they are in trouble, yeah? I mean, we won't be able to do much, but still..."

"We can't do anything." The first soldier sighed. "If there's someone out there strong enough to challenge Naruto, all we'd be doing is getting in his way if we try to help him."

"Damn it," the second soldier groaned in frustration, "this is so messed up! How are we an alliance when we can't even help when it matters the most?"

"They do what we can't do, and we do what they can't...or rather, we do what they just don't have the time to do." The first pointed out. "The reality is, as strong as the heavy hitters of the Alliance are, it's our responsibility to clean up the rank and file so that they can focus on the Coalition's heavy hitters. We all have our role to play. That's just how it is."

"Never feel like you aren't making a difference, because you are." The first continued. "Because we all have our roles to play in winning this war. Just as Naruto has his role right now: kicking that guy's ass."

"Right...you're right." The second soldier nodded in understanding. "Okay then, let's do our part. Let's go kick some more ass."

"Damn straight," the first soldier grinned as the rest of the soldiers all nodded eagerly, morale restored, "now let's get moving."

With morale restored and their energy back, the soldiers began moving back towards Ryugu Palace. They were going to do their part, so that their much stronger comrades could fight the battles they could not.

Meanwhile, Sajin Komamura was down for the count. He had finally collapsed and passed out from the pain. Danzo Shimura stood over his body, flanked by Fu Yamanaka and Torune Aburame. "Fu, Torune, tell me," Danzo spoke up, "how long did our beastly friend here last while being bombarded by the Amaterasu?"

"Surprisingly long, Lord Danzo." Torune responded. "As weak as he is compared to you, it would be unwise to underestimate someone with inhuman levels of durability that this one has. Of course, I hope I'm not speaking out of turn when I say such, Lord Danzo."

Danzo hummed thoughtfully at this. "I asked for your opinion this time. I would've been angrier if you had ignored my query."

Fu nodded. "If you desire our opinion, Lord Danzo, then I will say this: wasting a man with such a powerful body would be unwise for our cause. We should take him back to our current headquarters."

"Agreed," Danzo nodded, "Fu, rouse him enough that you are able to use your Ninjutsu to fully pacify him. If he awakens in the middle of the sealing process, we will have quite the issue on our hands. Torune, prepare a sealing scroll."

"Understood, Lord Danzo," both men responded in unison as they set to their respective tasks.

However, both men were rudely interrupted by a gruff voice. "Repel."

A sudden wave of metallic weapons were launched towards both Fu and Torune. Both men instinctively dodged, but their efforts left Danzo open to attack. "Lord Danzo!" Both men yelled in concern.

"Teleportation Jutsu." Danzo calmly vanished and avoided the metallic storm.

Danzo quickly appeared at both Fu and Torune's side. "You fools," he said in a calm but angered tone, "have you forgotten that I _am_ the Hidden Leaf Village? Any harm that comes to me harms the village. Do not disgrace the Foundation with such carelessness again or it will be your heads."

"Forgive us, Lord Danzo." Fu and Torune bowed submissively.

However, in their moments of submission, both men failed to notice the speeding threat that threatened to take them both out from behind. Danzo saw it and refused to warn his two subordinates. This would teach them both a lesson in being careless.

"Massacre Rush!" 'Massacre Soldier' Killer slashed Fu and Torune repeatedly from behind, sending both men airborne. The two landed behind Danzo, wincing and writhing in pain.

Danzo stared impassively at the masked man as he struck down his two strongest subordinates with ease. "Now that's just messed up." Eustass Kid stepped into view as well. "You didn't even bother warning them Killer was coming. You're not as subtle as you think, old man."

"Doing that to your own subordinates...you're a special kind of scum, aren't ya?"

"I don't want to hear that from the likes of you, Eustass Kid." Danzo frowned.

Kid laughed at this. "So you've heard of me. Should be obvious. My name does reach far and wide considering my deeds." He mused. "But seriously though, you're right, I've got no room to criticize you. I'm the man infamous for causing the deaths of civilians everywhere. There's definitely a nice little spot reserved in hell for me when the reaper comes to collect my soul."

"Who knows, maybe we'll be neighbors." Kid joked. "You probably don't have long left in your life either. So I'll be seeing you _real_ soon."

Danzo glared at Kid for that jab. "But you know what the thing is, geezer?" Kid continued, now glaring back at Danzo with the most serious expression Killer had ever seen from his captain. "I'm a monster, I'm a complete bastard, but I ain't scum like you."

"The difference between us is that I'm willing to admit to what I am. I'm honest about who I am. I know I'm going to burn for everything I've done. But you...sheesh, just look at you. Just standing there, you've got that holier than thou look I've seen on every Navy Officer I've killed over the years. You stand there, looking down on people thinking you can't do any wrong."

"To be honest, just looking at you pisses me off." Kid admitted. "I don't want to hear why you deserve to look down on people with that stupid look on your face. Right now, I just want to crush you."

With that, Kid quickly pulled the blades he had repelled back to himself. Danzo frowned slightly when he felt his kunai and shuriken leave him as well. Inwardly, however, he was a little concerned about this sudden development. _I cannot use my best Ninjutsu without my blades as conduits! I'll have to rely more on the Sharingan and the Senju genes in order to fight these ones effectively._

"Killer, move!" Kid yelled out a warning to his right hand man

Killer quickly vanished. "Here we go!" Kid yelled, "first comes Attract! And now we will Repel! Repulsive Storm!"

Danzo grit his teeth at the far more powerful and concentrated version of Repel. A tornado of metallic weaponry that would rip into him. "Teleportation Jutsu!" Danzo avoided the attack easily.

Kid grinned. "Good, we got him away from the wolfman. That means I can do this! Attract!"

And with that, the weapons Kid had repelled at first now returned to him. They then surrounded his body, creating a makeshift suit of armor with pointy weapons. "Here we go!" Kid yelled. "Metal Urchin!"

 _One of Captain Kid's new moves._ Killer noted, having taken the opportunity to move Komamura while Kid prepped it. _The creation of a suit of armor to protect himself from powerful attacks but also strike with powerful blows of his own. The attack still hasn't been perfected yet. I'm surprised he actually used it. He's still trying to figure out how to add Haki to this new attack of his. Once he does, an attack like this would be the ultimate offense and the ultimate defense._

Danzo reappeared and took notice of Kid's new state. "Well, that's a rather comical state you've left yourself in." He mused.

"Oh bite me," Kid growled, "I can't afford to take any unnecessary hits when I know nothing about your true power. All I know is that you are strong, since you took down the wolfman here. I'm going to take you seriously from the get-go!"

"Let's go, Killer!" Kid yelled.

Danzo looked over his shoulder as both Killer and Kid rushed him. "Very well, it is time to rely on the time-honored strategy of ninja. Attack from the darkness." He said, speeding through several Hand Signs. "I have grown stronger for this very moment!"

"Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence!"

Killer and Kid both gasped as a forest emerged from the ground around them, concealing Danzo from their view. It was Hashirama's signature technique, but used on a much smaller scale. Otherwise, Danzo could never hope to use it properly. Just another reason to despise Hashirama Senju and the Senjus as far as he was concerned.

All that power and they never once considered spreading their genes across the ninja world. The Leaf would be unstoppable had hundreds been carrying Senju children early in its history. Damn Hashirama and Tobirama-Sensei and their constant preaching about morality.

Hashirama was nothing but a naive fool, and Tobirama was a hypocrite who had first sewed distrust between the Uchiha and the village.

And so, Killer and Kid began cutting through the trees of Danzo's makeshift forest. Danzo, meanwhile, vanished into the earth with the Hiding Like a Mole technique. _I'll take out his right-hand man first._ Danzo decided. _He's not as well defended as Captain Kid is._

Killer froze in place. He saw the trees fall and Kid then appeared. "Captain, this is getting us nowhere." Killer pointed out to him.

"Che, you think so, huh? Now I really hate this stupid old geezer." Kid growled.

Killer hummed in acknowledgement. "Captain," he said, "if you would allow it, I'll make him show himself, right here and now."

Kid grinned. "Oh? You think you can pull something like that off?"

"If it's me, Captain, I can definitely do it." Killer responded, readying his scythe-like blades for a powerful attack. "I advise you to dodge this as best you can. I still haven't gotten the control down, and I'd hate for you to be caught in the blast."

"Can you at least make sure the wolfman doesn't get caught?" Kid asked.

"Captain, I wouldn't use this if I didn't take the time to move him out of the way." Killer pointed out to him.

 _That's my number one soldier._ Kid nodded. _Show me the power of a 200 million beri bounty, Massacre Soldier!_

"Deathscythe Tempest!" Killer yelled, swinging the scythes around repeatedly, creating powerful blades of air that ripped across the ground, creating small canyons, literal scars in the earth. The trees were ripped from their stumps in a flash as well. Kid, meanwhile, dodged all of the swings with ease.

This was how they trained their respective techniques. Kid would either take the blows if he was not fast enough, and Killer would train the force and speed of his blows. The two prepared for the New World together, and now it was going to pay off in a way neither of them expected.

At least, it would have, had Danzo not vanished underground with the Hiding Like a Mole Technique. Of course, Danzo did not have the easiest time. Killer's Deathscythe Tempest had torn across the ground as well. Those scars in the earth had almost struck him on multiple occasions. It had taken Danzo's instincts and sensory abilities to catch onto where Killer's attacks were going to land. Danzo did not have decades of battle experience for nothing. No matter how fast these attacks are, avoiding them is child's play for someone like him.

And so, Danzo weaved through Killer's Deathscythe Tempest with the greatest of ease. He then suddenly emerged from the ground right in front of Killer. "An attack at point blank? I didn't think he'd try something like that!" Killer exclaimed.

 _Most of my Ninjutsu uses my blades as conduits, but not all of them._

"Wind Style: Tempest Palm!" A more powerful version of the Gale Palm, only usable by those with incredibly large Chakra, be it naturally or artificially. Danzo fell into the category of the latter.

Killer yelled in pain as he was suddenly blasted by an insane amount of wind-powered Chakra straight to the chest. Kid grit his teeth as he was pushed away by the force of the blow. He watched as Killer was sent flying by the blast. "Killer!" He yelled out in concern.

"I despise getting up close like this." Danzo admitted. "Such barbaric acts are meant for the rank and file, not the one who must live in order to make his version of the world a reality."

"Bastard!" Kid dug his feet into the ground and rushed Danzo throwing several hooks at the man.

"Does that offend you?" Danzo asked as he avoided Kid's punches. "Considering the way you fight, I suppose that makes you one of those barbarians."

"I'm a pirate, not a barbarian. We don't fight with mere brutality alone. We just fight to win!" Kid yelled, opening up his entire body. "Urchin Bomber!"

Danzo's eyes then widened as the blades adorning Kid's body suddenly exploded outwards. He raised his hand to perform a Teleportation Jutsu to escape, only to discover that the blades were faster than he was. Kid had repelled them at a much quicker, more explosive rate than ever before.

The blades impaled Danzo's body all around. "Damn...damn it…" Danzo cursed as his body suddenly faded into the shadows.

Kid narrowed his eyes at the oddness of the way Danzo's body simply...vanished. "That...did not look natural at all." He noted. "Hell, I know for a fact that definitely wasn't the Kako move that's been giving us fits from the start of this war. That was something else."

"Gah, I don't have time to think about that. If the old man is alive, I need to be ready. I can't fight my best if Killer and the wolfman are in the way constantly. Killer was able to get the wolfman out of range for his attacks. But once I start going all out, they need to be moved further away."

"Wood Style: Cutting Sprigs Jutsu." That familiar voice suddenly spoke up.

Kid spun around just as several sharp sprigs came out of nowhere. He was forced to dodge the attack because of his lack of protection. "Freaking knew it." Kid growled in frustration. "You some sort of immortal, old man?"

Danzo suddenly stepped back into view. "I can only hope to one day achieve such status." Danzo acknowledged. "But this is enough for now. For now...you are no match for someone like me, Eustass Kid."

"Blow it out your ass, old man!" Kid yelled. "I ain't done just yet!"

Danzo scowled. "Vulgar brat." He growled, moving through a few quick Hand Signs. He then slammed his palm onto the ground. "Wood Style: Bamboo Forest!"

Kid's eyes widened as an entire wave of sharpened bamboo shoots fired from the ground towards him. "Oh damn!" Kid yelled, leaping into the air to avoid Danzo's Bamboo Forest attack.

"Attract!" Kid yelled, drawing back the blades he had been forced to fire in his Urchin Bomber attack.

"Not this time, Captain." Danzo quickly moved through more Hand Signs. "Wood Style: Sea of Trees!"

More trees suddenly sprouted around them. It seemed like such a wasteful technique, until Kid came to a horrific realization as he heard the sound of the blades embedding themselves into the trees with loud thuds. Danzo had created this forest to stop him from attracting metallic objects at once. In one fell swoop, Danzo had taken away his strongest weapon, his Devil Fruit.

"Oh crap!" Kid yelled in frustration.

Danzo smirked triumphantly, knowing what that frustrated yell meant. He knew that Kid had caught onto his plan, but was too late to do anything to stop it. That means, the fight had now moved into his favor. Danzo had to take full advantage of this opportunity now.

 _First, I'll take away his footing, piece by piece._ Danzo decided. _I'll leave him defenseless._

"Wood Style: Bamboo Forest." Danzo created another row of sharp bamboo shoots.

Kid's eyes widened as the wave of shoots came closer to him. He leapt to the side, barely avoiding Danzo's attack. _Gotta figure out a way to use my powers and fast! I can't lose to an old geezer like this!_

"Teleportation Jutsu!" Danzo suddenly teleported into clear view, fifty feet in front of Kid.

"Wait...what?" Kid looked at Danzo in surprise.

Instinctively, Kid dropped into a fighting stance. When confronted by an enemy, this was always his first response: prepare for battle. What Kid did not realize was that this was exactly what Danzo had been counting on.

"Wood Style: Forest of Correction!" Suddenly, several massive vines and roots came up from the ground and wrapped around Kid, restraining him.

"In preparing to attack, you let your guard down. You are a barbarian." Danzo taunted. "Nothing more than a worthless berserker who only knows how to attack. You cannot protect anything, including yourself."

"Bastard!" Kid yelled, struggling to free himself.

"Don't bother, the Forest of Correction is an inescapable of restraint." Danzo told him. "And with that, Captain Kid, I ask that you now rest. I'd offer you a position in the Foundation, but frankly, someone with a Devil Fruit like yours, that is so easy to work around...you are worthless to me."

"Wood Style: Cutting Sprigs Jutsu." And with that, Kid was impaled in the stomach by several sharp sprigs, fired from Danzo.

Meanwhile, Captain Buggy stood triumphantly over the defeated Kurotsuchi. "And that's how it's done, folks!" Buggy declared. "The only one who could've won was yours truly, Buggy the Clown Star!"

"All hail Captain Buggy!" The Buggy Pirates cheered in agreement.

Buggy chuckled confidently on the outside. On the inside, however, it was a different story. _Oh man, she caught me by surprise with how tough she actually was. If it wasn't for my Chop Chop Fruit, I would've been a dead man for sure. I have got to make up some excuse to flashily exit this battlefield before I lose face with these saps that seem to think I'm a god._

 _I could say I'm hungry and that I want to feast on something, but I don't know how well that will work._ He admitted. _After all, wouldn't I be so tough that I don't need to eat? That bastard, Blackbeard, is so powerful that he's never slept a day in his life for crying out loud._

"Captain Buggy!" A soldier suddenly yelled out. "You've beaten her, now finish her off! Show us your flashy killing techniques!"

"Eh? Oh, my flashy killing techniques?" Buggy laughed nervously. "Well, I'd much rather give one of you the kill. Consider it a gift from your benevolent captain."

 _I can't waste any more time here. I need to come up with an excuse to exit stage left, flashily!_ Buggy frantically thought to himself.

"Nonsense!" The soldier cheered. "Captain Buggy, you beat her! Therefore, the kill belongs to you and you alone! It'd be disrespectful of us to take such a thing from you, after all."

"Kill her, Captain Buggy! Kill her!" The rest of Buggy's idiotically faithful crew cheered while Alvida, Mohji, Cabaji and Richie all facepalmed at this turn of events.

 _Oh great, no avoiding it at this point. Just running away is going to make me lose face now._ Buggy lamented. _Damn it, becoming a Warlord was supposed to give me the easy life. But all it's given me are a bunch of idiotic subordinates who expect me to do everything just because they think I'm a god._

A situation Buggy completely brought on himself, might I remind you all…

Buggy then looked down at Kurotsuchi. The girl was still completely motionless. The clown gave a sigh of relief before coming to a decision. _Well, I suppose a minute to show them my flashy killing moves won't hurt. What's the worst that could happen at this point?_ Buggy wondered to himself.

"Okay then!" Buggy yelled. "Ask and you shall receive, my loyal minions!"

"YAY!" The soldiers all cheered.

Buggy's two hands then detached, brandishing two daggers that were aimed right at Kurotsuchi. "My flashy killing technique! An execution reserved only for those who have the honor of falling before the great Buggy!" Buggy could not resist hamming it up a little, unfortunately. "Chop Chop Feast!"

Buggy's two daggers then stabbed downwards toward Kurotsuchi like a dinner plate. Then, in a flash, she was gone. As though her body had never been there in the first place. She was just gone.

Buggy was utterly perplexed by this. "Umm...what?" He said flatly.

"Hey, Buggy," he heard Alvida call out to him, "if you're looking for the girl's body, it's all the way over there."

Buggy looked off to where Alvida was pointing. His eyes bulged out of their sockets. Kurotsuchi was still lying on the floor, unconscious. And yet somehow, she had moved a great distance. "WHAT THE HELL?!" He screamed.

Alvida chuckled at Buggy's perplexed nature. She then gazed at Kurotsuchi's unconscious form. Admittedly, she should have been concerned on the matter. However, she could not pick up anyone's presence. Perhaps they dropped Kurotsuchi when trying to escape from Buggy and ran off, concerned they would not be able to escape from them a second time?

Alvida's eyes then registered something and they went wide in disbelief and fear. "Umm...Buggy...we may have a problem."

"Ugh, what now?!" Buggy screamed before looking where Alvida was looking. He then saw exactly what she was seeing and his eyes went wide as well.

Standing before them was a tall man, dressed in a dark brown cloak that completely concealed his identity from everyone. Buggy did not know who this person was, where he came from, none of it. Everything about him was a mystery, except for one thing.

This guy absolutely _radiated_ power. Just looking at him told Buggy that he was bad news. "Okay...um...you maybe want to just take the girl and leave?" Buggy suggested nervously.

"A-after all," Buggy continued, regaining his composure and returning to his role as the confident, immovable, godlike pirate, "the great Captain Buggy is feeling very generous today. I've gotten my fill in tearing her apart. You can take her and leave if you wish, I won't pursue you."

"Aww, but Captain Buggy, you can so take this guy!" One soldier yelled.

"He's right, Captain Buggy, you're the greatest, now show this weak weirdo what for!" Another added.

 _Those morons are going to be the death of me!_ Buggy paled inwardly. _Seriously, I'm screwed if they keep talking crap like that!_

"Now, now," Buggy tried to placate both sides, "that may be true, but I'm also a very generous man, am I not? I should show mercy when necessary, yes?"

"So what do you say, friend?" Buggy asked. "Why don't you just take the girl and leave. We'll call it even then, yeah?"

Still no response from the cloaked man. At this point, Buggy's irrational side was beginning to take over. One thing that could be said about the clown pirate, was that he absolutely hated to be ignored.

"Oi! Respond to me when I'm talking to you! You do realize who you're dealing with here, right? I'm Buggy! Clown Star Buggy! One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea! That means, you can't just disrespect me like that! Especially after I made such a generous offer to you!"

"Respond to Captain Buggy, you bastard!" Soldiers began to jeer in fury at the man.

The man stayed silent. Buggy growled in frustration. "Fine, be that way!" He snapped. "If you're not going to take my generous offer then I'll just kill you where you stand!"

Buggy's entire body split apart. It began spinning around. The cloaked man could vaguely see blades being brandished inside of this twister of body parts. "GYA HA HA!" Buggy laughed. "Chop Chop Tornado! Let's see you get away from this!"

"Cut him to pieces, Captain Buggy!" Buggy's fan club cheered.

The cloaked man remained surprisingly calm as Buggy and the Chop Chop Tornado neared him. He noticed how Buggy's head was remaining behind the tornado and how his feet were walking behind them as well. Picking up quickly, the cloaked man finally decided to make his move.

There was movement underneath his cloak. Buggy blinked, and then the man was gone. "Eh?" He muttered in disbelief before he saw all his body parts fall to the ground.

Silence. You could hear a pin drop in the area. The entire Pirate Dispatch Society, Buggy's closest subordinates, Buggy himself, they were all in utter disbelief at what they had just witnessed.

"Why...why did my parts all fall to the floor?" Buggy wondered. "Wait…"

Buggy then noticed how far his head was from the rest of his parts. "Why is my head so far from my body...WHY IS MY HEAD SO DAMN FAR FROM MY BODY?!"

Buggy then felt something grip his forehead. He looked to see The cloaked man holding his head. "What?!" Buggy shrieked in disbelief. "WHAT?!"

The cloaked man then playfully dangled Buggy's feet. Buggy started sputtering in disbelief. No way. No way. No way. No way! He figured out the weakness of his Chop Chop Fruit just like that? Just who the hell was this guy? "Who are you?!" Buggy demanded.

The cloaked man did not respond. Buggy could not see his face, but he could tell that he was giving him the biggest grin behind that cloak. "Alvida, Mohji, Cabaji, Richie, HELP ME!" Buggy demanded, completely helpless now.

Everyone snapped out of their stupor and realized just how badly their captain was in trouble. "Hang on!" Alvida and Cabaji yelled, running towards him.

"Richie, sic him!" Mohji added as the overweight lion charged the cloaked man. Mohji ran after him.

The cloaked man relaxed slightly, as though he were in disbelief at how the fat lion was trying to fight him. He then tossed Buggy's head into the air, as though he were trying to gauge the weight of his head...like he was a ball to be thrown. "Hey, gentle!" Buggy yelled.

The cloaked man remained silent. He then gripped Buggy's head hard and brought his arm back. Buggy let out a scream of terror when he realized what was about to happen to him. "Mother of crap!" Buggy yelled horrified at what was about to happen to him.

The cloaked man tossed the head of Buggy the Clown at Richie. The lion dug its paws into the ground and stopped when he saw Buggy's head sailing towards him. Buggy's head then nailed Richie right in the stomach, sweeping the lion off his feet.

"GYAH!" Mohji yelled in terror as Richie's massive body sailed into him. The momentum swept him off his feet as well, towards Alvida and Cabaji.

Alvida stopped in place and braced herself while Cabaji yelled in terror. Richie and Mohji smashed into Cabaji, and then into Alvida, only for all of them to slide harmlessly off her body. Thanks to her Smooth Smooth Fruit, attacks like this meant nothing to Alvida. She heaved a sigh of relief as the four individuals behind her sailed into a nearby wall before resting on the ground. Her eyes widened when she then saw that all four had been knocked unconscious by the blow.

Whoever this guy was, he took out four individuals at once by throwing one of those people's heads like a ball. It makes a lot more sense in context, yeah, but still!

Alvida then turned her attention back to the man responsible for all of this. Then, much to her horror, she felt the shadow of death looming over her. She could not see his face, but she could tell that he was glaring at her with a face that promised death for what she and her allies had done to Fishman Island, to Kurotsuchi.

Good God, she could not see his face and she still saw death in his eyes. It was like staring a demon in the face as it reached out to grab you and devour you whole. And she was not confident her Devil Fruit could save her from this man. She just knew that he would find a weakness she had and exploit the hell out of it until she was dead.

At that moment, Alvida made a snap decision. She had to get the hell out of dodge before this guy found a way to hurt her and then kill her. So, she quickly vanished into the shadows with Kako before the guy went after her.

Wordlessly, the cloaked man urned his attention to the stunned members of the Pirate Dispatch Society. "What...what is he?" One soldier wondered.

Ten seconds, that was all it took. In ten seconds, the cloaked man made his move once more...and defeated the entire Pirate Dispatch Society that had been present. And not a single one of them had seen their defeat coming, literally.

Which begged the question that was on everyone's minds as they drifted into unconsciousness. Who was this guy?

Meanwhile, Danzo watched as the forests he had created crumbled all around him. While he had improved in his use of Wood Style, and could use it without resorting to it as a dangerous trump card, he still lacked the power and control Hashirama had. He still could not hope to compare to that fool of a First Hokage.

"But, it's enough." Danzo noted as he then turned his attention to the downed Eustass Kid, who was lying in a pool of his own blood. "To defeat you...this is enough."

"Screw you…" Kid growled. "Seriously, screw you…"

Danzo rolled his eyes. He then walked over and picked up a kunai. He quickly imbued wind Chakra into the blade. "Spew all the hate for me that you wish, Captain Kid. It won't change that at the end of this day, I will be the one left standing, and you will simply be a dead man."

"Well that won't do at all." A smooth-talking voice spoke up as a new arrival sauntered in. "Letting comrades die...well, that just kinda leaves a bad taste in my mouth, if you get what I'm saying."

Danzo frowned and looked over his shoulder. "You people just keep coming out of the damn woodworks." He growled.

Shinji Hirako grinned at Danzo. "Well, what can I say? We're a pretty persistent bunch. It's just who we are."

Shinji then gave Kid a small smile. "You did good, Kid. You managed to hold back the old geezer. When I sensed Komamura's Spiritual Pressure dropping, I wanted to go help him. I owed him a thanks after he helped me back then...but I was worried I wouldn't get there in time. But you and Killer gave it your all, and even if it wasn't enough...you still managed to make a difference in the end."

"Thanks for the sappy-ass speech, Hirako." Kid groaned.

Shinji chuckled as Killer appeared by his side. "How you doing, Killer?" Shinji asked him now. "Do you think you can get both Kid to the distance I told you? I've got soldiers moving Komamura there as well."

"Of course." Killer said.

"As if I'd let you lot leave." Danzo growled. "Wind Style: Vacuum Blade!"

"Ooh, so it's a sword fight, huh?" Shinji grinned. "Now it's a party."

Danzo turned his blade on Kid. "If you care about your friends so much then let's see you respond to this!"

Shinji was immediately in front of Danzo, much to the old man's surprise. _He's faster than the last Soul Reaper!_

"Do you just get off on pissing people off?" Shinji wondered, stabbing forward at Danzo.

Danzo gasped as he was impaled right through the chest by Shinji. His body faded away before reappearing a few feet away from him. Shinji frowned at the sight. "Sheesh, another illusion user? I really, really hate you guys?"

"He's dangerous, Captain Hirako, be careful." Killer appeared at Shinji's side.

"Standing up to dangerous guys has kinda been my MO for a long time. And I don't mind that not changing any time soon." Shinji grinned. "Now get going, Killer."

Killer picked up Kid. "Are you alright, Captain?" He asked.

"No, my pride's kinda shattered right now. It's probably wounded as badly as I am at this point." Kid groaned. "But...thanks for coming back for me, Killer."

Killer then sped off with Kid in tow. Shinji's attention was now entirely on Danzo. "So, just you and me now, Geezer." Shinji said with that big grin of his. "Don't think I won't hold back on you just because you're old. Then again, I'm probably older than you."

Danzo scowled. "Don't be so arrogant, Soul Reaper." He told him. "I am the man who will lead the Ninja World into a new era. Danzo Shimura. Underestimate me at your own peril."

Shinji raised an eyebrow. "Danzo Shimura? Well I'll be damned. You I have heard of. Aren't you that old geezer that kept trying to ruin what everyone in the Leaf Village worked extremely hard to build?"

Danzo frowned. "I will no longer attempt to justify myself to someone like you. You who follows the will of bleeding heart fools like Chitsujo."

"Well now, I actually happen to like Lord Chitsujo, so don't think you can call him a fool and get it away with it." Shinji frowned. "And while we're on the subject, I happen to have a lot of friends in the Leaf Village that you seem hellbent on ruining."

"So let's review here, Danzo," Shinji continued, "not only did you attack a friend of mine, but you also insulted a leader I actually really like, and plan to ruin the home of people I'm also friends with."

"Your point?"

"My point is that I hate people who like to ruin things for selfish reasons, especially other people's lives." Shinji told him. "I don't give a damn who it is and why they're doing it, it happened to me, and I won't let it happen to anyone else."

"I'm going to give it all I've got from the start." Shinji promised. "Now collapse, Sakanade!"

Danzo watched as Shinji's Zanpakuto transformed into its Shikai state. "Well, now that's a surprise. I expected something more flashy, like Komamura's Tenken." Danzo admitted. "There doesn't seem to be much of a change in yours."

Shinji grinned. "I would think an old man who for some reason is still on the battlefield would know better than to judge a book by its cover."

"Anyway," Shinji continued, "I'm afraid it's already too late for you, Danzo Shimura."

Danzo frowned, and just what do you mean by that?" He inquired.

"Well, take a look around you." Shinji chuckled. "If you look around, you'll notice a mist that has surrounded you in a near instant."

Danzo gasped when he saw that he was indeed surrounded by a mist. Shinji started twirling Sakanade. "Oh dear, dear, dear," he taunted, "I wonder what will happen to you...when you enter _my world_."

Suddenly, Shinji suddenly turned upside down in Danzo's eyes. "What...what in the world?" Danzo gasped in surprise.

Shinji grinned. "Welcome to the Inverted World, Danzo Shimura." Shinji introduced. This is the power of my Sakanade. You're in my world now."

"Up, down, left, right, back, front, the directions the damage is comin' from... do you really think you can wrap your head around fighting with them all flipped around? Not a chance. Ain't no-one can do that. The stronger a guy is, the more used to battle he gets... the more naturally his body reacts to exactly what it sees!"

"Damn you, for someone who claims to hate illusions, you have no issue using them yourself." Danzo noted.

Shinji laughed. "Well, to be fair, the Soul Society has done a lot of things over the years that have gotten us rightfully labeled as hypocrites.

Shinji then Flash Stepped towards Danzo. Danzo frantically blocked Shinji's first strike, only for the world to suddenly be turned around once more. "Over here!" Shinji slashed Danzo across the back, even though he thought he was coming from the front once more.

"You may think your Shikai is powerful," Danzo growled, "but I can still strike you! Wind Style: Vacuum Blast Barrage!"

Danzo rotated his head about, expelling multiple blades of wind from his mouth. Shinji quickly inverted the area in a frantic manner, turning the world around Danzo repeatedly, leaving the old man extremely disoriented.

Danzo was then cut across the chest by Shinji. "Like I told you, what you see is what you react to. You can't hope to respond properly if what you're seeing is turning you into a queasy mess." Shinji reminded him. "This is what it means to have your best sense turned against you."

"Wind Style: Vacuum Bullets!" Danzo yelled, firing several small blasts of wind chakra that scattered into different directions.

"I gotta give ya credit though, Danzo." Shinji admitted. "You're using your attacks to attack in multiple areas. I'll be the first to admit that Sakanade's big weakness is omnidirectional attacks. Unfortunately for you, I've found a couple workarounds. And compared to the last one to exploit that weakness, well, you're lacking in destructive power."

Danzo was then stabbed in the shoulder, even though he thought Shinji was coming from behind. "I'll admit, this is a truly powerful illusion." Danzo acknowledged.

"However, it is still an illusion." Danzo continued. "And unfortunately for you, Shinji Hirako, I have workarounds for your illusions, just like any other illusion!"

And with that, Danzo blocked Shinji's next attack, much to the Squad 5 Captain's surprise. "Oh?" Shinji's eyes widened.

Danzo's Sharingan eyes were going crazy. "The Sharingan sees through illusion and deception. I'll admit, because I'm not an Uchiha by birth, seeing through your illusions was quite difficult. And my age caused it to take longer than usual. However, now that my eyes have had time to adjust, I can see through your illusions now!"

Shinji was now scowling. "Oh, you've gotta be kidding me? The Sharingan can even pull that off? Those eyes are stupidly unfair. Makes me glad that Commander Hatake and that Sasuke kid are on our side."

"You can try to manipulate the world around us all you wish, Captain Hirako, but I will see through all your attempts." Danzo promised. "I'm a step ahead of you now."

"Wind Style: Vacuum Bomb!" Danzo exhaled a compressed ball of wind chakra that exploded in front of Shinji, pushing him away from Danzo.

"And now, I'll follow with another Wind Style: Vacuum Blast Barrage!" Danzo began expelling more blades of wind, moving his head around to follow Shinji's attempts at avoiding the attacks.

The winds that lacerated Shinji's body repeatedly. "Gah!" Shinji yelled in pain. "Ah damn it, that actually hurt. How can wind possibly hurt that badly? It's wind!"

"You shouldn't have taunted me so, Captain Hirako." Danzo glared at him. "You have no right to confront someone like me with such arrogance."

"Oh hi kettle, the name's pot, have we met?" Shinji taunted in spite of the pain he was in. "Seriously, how are you able to say crap like that with no sense of irony whatsoever, huh?"

Danzo responded by holding his Sharingan Arm out in front of him. "Now then, you can burn, just like your friend, Komamura. Amaterasu!"

Shinji Flash Stepped away just in time for the spot he had been before to catch fire. Danzo, however, was ready for this. He continued to aim the eyes on his arm at Shinji. Eventually, Shinji found himself slowing down due to Danzo's earlier attack hitting him harder than he had expected. And with that, Shinji was blasted by the black flames of Amaterasu.

"GAH!" Shinji yelled in pain.

"It's over." Danzo told him.

Shinji rolled on the ground. "Don't worry. You I definitely will not kill. You're far too important. After all, you're a Visored, are you not? It really is a shame you chose not to use your Hollow Mask against me? Perhaps you were concerned about overtaxing yourself? Or perhaps you were arrogant enough to believe you could best me?"

"Either way, you've failed, and now you will be inducted into the Foundation."

"Lord Danzo," Danzo looked over his shoulder to see that Fu and Torune and gotten up after Killer's previous sneak attack.

"I see you two fools have recovered." He noted. "You two...I hope you both learned a valuable lesson. Your foolishness could've cost me."

"Yes, we're very sorry, Lord Danzo." Fu nodded.

Suddenly several Coalition soldiers charged into view. "Ah, it appears we're gaining back some ground." Danzo noted.

"Indeed, Lord Danzo." The soldier responded. "The Alliance suddenly retreated from this area, so we're going to try and take back the ground we were losing."

"Very good." Danzo noted.

Danzo then turned his attention back to Shinji. His eyes all closed. The flames of Amaterasu vanished on Shinji. "It seems your comrades have abandoned you, Shinji Hirako." Danzo told him. "All your talk about camaraderie clearly meant nothing in the end."

Shinji remained silent. "Indeed, I can no longer sense your comrades." Danzo continued. "You are all alone."

"All alone...just you guys, right?" Shinji weakly asked.

"That is correct." Danzo nodded. "You are all that is left in this area."

Shinji then gave Danzo a weak smile. "Thanks for telling me," he said, "now I can use this without any concern. You just lost your one chance at winning."

Danzo's eyes widened. His smug demeanor was wiped away in an instant. "Bankai." Shinji said calmly, rising to his feet.

Suddenly, a nadeshiko-flower shaped pedestal appeared beneath Shinji's feet. Shinji's expression darkened as he stared down Danzo and the soldiers. "Sakashima Yokoshima Happōfusagari." Shinji introduced. "Allow me to introduce...one of the only Bankai in the entire Soul Society to be outright banned. You've all lost."

"A Bankai that has been banned?" Danzo muttered in disbelief. "How is that possible? How can such power exist? Is that why we have no data on Shinji Hirako beyond his Shikai and his Hollowfication?"

"I won't bother trying to explain what my Bankai does." Shinji told him. "All I'm going to say is...enjoy what happens next. A bastard like you, who has no sense of camaraderie...you'll love it."

Danzo then heard the sound of steel meeting flesh and soldiers crying out. "What is this?" He demanded before gasping.

Allies were now cutting down enemies. No wait, were enemies cutting down enemies? Danzo did not know, but he did know that some of the people who were winning this fight were enemies.

"Yes," Danzo muttered, "I can't leave a single one of my enemies alive. I will kill them all, and become the Hokage I was always meant to be!"

Then, much to Danzo's horror, his skin started to turn purple. "An assassination?" Danzo gasped in surprise.

"I must kill Lord Danzo's enemies." Torune said from behind. "You...are my enemy…"

"Bastard!" Danzo yelled. "I will not die to the likes of you!"

Shinji heaved a sigh at the sight of the chaos he had just created. Sakashima Yokoshima Happōfusagari was indeed a banned Bankai, and for very good reason. He believed that Shunsui Kyoraku had the best description of it. It was truly a Bankai that did not differentiate between friend and foe. Simply because friends and foes just did not exist in this totally topsy-turvy reality it had created. In this reality, allies were enemies, enemies were allies. Everything was completely distorted and he had no control over it. Sakashima Yokoshima Happōfusagari did not alter senses. It altered perception itself.

And so, Shinji calmly watched the carnage, thinking about how rare it was for him to use his Bankai. In fact, he could not even remember the last time he was able to use it. _I can only use it when I'm outnumbered and when I have no allies in the vicinity._ Shinji noted. _It was a damn good thing I had the foresight to have the soldiers in the area retreat so that I could test this in the field, just in case I end up being a trump card in the final battle with the Coalition._

 _The only question now is, can Danzo snap out of this state? My Bankai is good, but it's still an illusion. That means, theoretically, his Sharingan can see through it. That being said, Sakashima Yokoshima Happōfusagari alters the victim's very perception. As far as Danzo is concerned, he has no need to see through any illusions. His perception is as clear as day. He's fighting an army of enemies right now. The same goes for literally everyone else._

Shinji took a seat on the pedestal. _I suppose the only left now is to simply watch the carnage ensue...hoo boy, that definitely did not sound very heroic. But hey, like I said, Soul Society's filled with a bunch of hypocrites. I've got no right to play hero. All I can do is what I believe is right._

Meanwhile, Naruto Uzumaki's eyes suddenly shot open. Slowly, the orange Chakra that had been surrounding him began to die down. His plan had been a success. The one who had been attacking his Shadow Clones had taken the bait and had come to him for a true duel. He narrowed his eyes slightly. This was someone he had not been expecting.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it, Naruto Uzumaki?" Ulquiorra Cifer inquired curiously. "I believe the last time we met was in Lord Chitsujo's palace."

"It has...er, Ulquiorra was it?"

"Indeed, I am Ulquiorra Cifer. I'm sure Ichigo Kurosaki has told you of me, yes? I would think that someone like him would have the decency to remember and remain wary of the man who took his life not once but twice."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, Ichigo told me everything about you. How strong you really are. How you're still, to this day, one of the toughest fights he's ever had. And how much he regrets that the two of you could not settle things properly."

"He's still regretful of that? How curious. The heart is truly an interesting thing." Ulquiorra mused before getting back on track. "I am not interested in Ichigo Kurosaki at the moment. My interest lies in you, the supposed Child of Prophecy in your world. Naruto Uzumaki, you are the subject of my interest right now."

"Yep, this is what happens when you're famous." Naruto sighed. "Everyone wants a piece of you."

"Yeah, Ulquiorra, Ichigo did tell me everything about you." Naruto reminded him as he rose to his feet. "It's kinda weird, actually. Besides Yhwach and this Aizen guy, he was scared of you the most. Guess that means you are really strong."

"But to that I say, so what?!" Naruto yelled. "I'm not backing down against anyone, and I'm certainly not backing down against you. Bring it on, Ulquiorra Cifer!"

Ulquiorra let out a small smirk. "Then let us begin."

 **A.N: So we have a Racer X-like figure coming in to help the Alliance. Super old anime reference right there, holy crap. Shinji Hirako busts out his Bankai. By the way, major hole in canon that he never even once busted out his "allegiance-reversal" Bankai on anyone. Then again, it must be tough to get all the bad guys alone to use it, so I'll offer a little bit of grace there. Besides, he kinda needed it with how insanely powerful I made Danzo in this. Seriously, I think Danzo's actually put up the best fight in the Coalition in this battle, so far.**

 **And now, we have the long-awaited rematch between Naruto and Ulquiorra. Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, I'll see you all next time! Happy 2020.**


	25. Chapter 25: Far From Empty

**A.N: So, first, a big announcement. Last month, I announced the publishing of my first original novel: Age of Heroes: The Hero and the Disciple, in eBook format. Well, I would also like to announce that for anyone who prefers a hard copy, hard copies are now being offered as well! So, if you've enjoyed my work here, I encourage you to check out my original material as well!**

 **I'll also be changing my pen name on this site to reflect my new status as a published author. From now on, when you're trying to find my profile, keep your eyes peeled for Author Nicholas Drew**

 **And now, Naruto vs. Ulquiorra!**

 **Chapter 24: Far From Empty**

As he stared down Ulquiorra Cifer, Naruto Uzumaki could not help but ask one very important question before they started to fight. "Did I seriously leave that much of an impression on you that you just had to go and kill a bunch of my Shadow Clones?"

"It was...the only way I felt I could get your attention, short of attacking your friends." Ulquiorra admitted. "And since I don't know you well enough to know who your true friends actually are, I had to simply focus on attacking your clones."

"Technically, everyone is my friend." Naruto replied. "There's not a single person in this army that I don't cherish."

" **Don't tell him that you idiot!"** Kurama yelled.

"I see," Ulquiorra nodded in understanding, "that won't do. I'd waste way too much of my time hunting down every single person. I'd much prefer the direct approach when someone obtains my attention. I despise tedious matters."

"So do I." Naruto responded. "Though, unlike you, I think it's because I have no attention span to speak of."

"But there is one more thing I'd like to ask you before we settle this." Naruto continued. "Why are you here? Why are you fighting with Konton? What exactly has he promised you that you'd agree to something like this?"

"I see...you are curious as to how Lord Konton secured my loyalty." Ulquiorra nodded in understanding.

"Well, I suppose the truth of the matter is that my reasons for serving the Coalition...are surprisingly selfish." Ulquiorra revealed. "As loyal as I am to Lord Aizen, and his presence in the Coalition did make for an easy adjustment, the truth is, I am no longer bound to Lord Aizen's commands, as his army no longer exists."

"Your reasons...were selfish?" Naruto was surprised.

"Selfish...but also gratitude." Ulquiorra admitted. "You see, I died once before, as I'm sure Ichigo Kurosaki had already explained to you. I died...just as I was beginning to understand just what the heart was. I was...regretful of that. I wanted to know more about the heart...that made a warrior I had written off surpass me in strength, and made a girl psychologically tormented by myself and my allies lament my passing."

"And that...was when Lord Konton brought me back to this world." Ulquiorra admitted. "He offered me the chance to learn more about the heart that I could not see, yet was so intrigued by. I took it...you understand. If offered something you truly desire, you would take it."

"Not if it meant selling my soul to someone who's a borderline devil." Naruto responded.

"Can you truly say that?" Ulquiorra asked. "If someone offered you your dream, would you actually turn it down?"

Naruto fell silent. He wanted to say no. He wanted to say that he would turn down being Hokage if someone just offered it to him, out of the blue. Especially if basically selling his soul to a devil like Konton. However, no one had ever put him in that situation before.

Naruto can claim to have the moral high ground, compared to others, all he wished. But while he had been able to easily refuse the offers of people with lunatic ideas like Obito and Madara. He had never been offered something...reasonable, by someone he would view as an antagonistic force.

Ulquiorra sighed. "That's what I thought." He said. "In the future, please try not to judge my decision when you cannot even say for certain you wouldn't do the same in my situation."

"Now, don't get me wrong, in spite of my gratitude to Lord Konton for offering me this chance, neither he nor the Coalition mean a thing to me." Ulquiorra admitted. "I have no loyalty to Lord Konton. And I am in no way interested in what he is intending to achieve in his efforts. For the first time ever, I am fighting purely for my own interests."

"If that's the case, then join the Alliance. We can help you with your interests, and you don't have to help a madman." Naruto offered without hesitation.

Ulquiorra shook his head. "Have you ever considered the arrogance of your words, Naruto Uzumaki?" He asked.

"Eh?" Naruto looked at Ulquiorra in confusion.

"The Alliance are the good guys...the Coalition are the bad guys. That is what you all believe." Ulquiorra noted. "And so, if you see someone who is motivated more by personal interests rather than loyalty to the 'bad guys' and their cause, you think that automatically gives you the right to try and sway them over to your side. Tell me, do expect me to be grateful? Do you expect me to simply switch sides because the 'good guys' offer me aid in my interests?"

Naruto fell silent at this. "Understand this, Naruto Uzumaki. I don't doubt that either side could help me in my interests."

"So why?"

"Because I do not belong with your Alliance." Ulquiorra responded simply. "It's that simple. I am an Arrancar, the mightiest evolution of a Hollow, a beast that seeks to devour the souls of the innocent. And your allies, might I remind you, are the Soul Society, my sworn enemy."

"It is simply in my nature...as it is the nature of all Hollows, to oppose the Soul Society."

"And what about the Wandenreich? I was under the impression that Quincies are sworn enemies of Hollows as well." Naruto pointed out.

Ulquiorra sighed. "I will admit there is some...discomfort in working with the Quincies."

"Then that completely invalidates your last statement." Naruto pointed out. "It's not that you can't work with the Alliance. You just won't."

This seemed to strike a chord with Ulquiorra, who hummed thoughtfully at Naruto's statement. "I see," he muttered in a tone low enough for Naruto to be unable to hear, "so I'm slowly becoming...yes, I see. Perhaps hypocrisy is part of the heart as well."

"Regardless," Ulquiorra returned to addressing Naruto, "it does not change the fact that I am gaining a greater understanding of myself as a member of the Coalition. Maybe you're right and that I simply _won't_ work with the Alliance. But none of that matters. I believe we have a fight to partake in?"

Ulquiorra removed his hands from his pockets, showing that he was ready to take Naruto on. Naruto heaved a sigh. What an odd series of events. He had come to Ulquiorra ready for a fight, but then his curiosity had got the better of him. Instinctively, he tried to sway Ulquiorra over to his side, but that of course failed. Now, he had no choice but to fight.

" _You ready, Kurama?"_ Naruto asked his Tailed Beast.

" **Be careful, idiot."** Kurama told him. **"Something tells me this fight is going to be different from the one in the palace. His entire demeanor is different from back then."**

" _Yeah, I know, I can tell that much. Something tells me he just wasn't interested in giving his all back at Chitsujo's palace. I think we'll be getting a real match this time around."_

"Here I come, Ulquiorra." Naruto warned before holding up his hands in the familiar Hand Sign. "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Ulquiorra watched in interest as a small army of Naruto Uzumakis surrounded him. "I see," he said, "I was told that the Shadow Clone Jutsu utterly drains the Chakra of the user, which was why it was classified as a forbidden technique. Even after creating that small army to aid your allies, you still have Chakra to spare...enough Chakra to fight me with an army."

"Fascinating," Ulquiorra continued, "you...Ichigo Kurosaki...and most likely Monkey D. Luffy and Natsu Dragneel as well...you four are truly interesting. You truly did receive quite a blessing of strength when you were born into this world."

"It's strange, this feeling in my empty chest...I wonder if it's envy." Ulquiorra mused. "I who was born empty...with nothing...maybe I cannot help but envy someone like you."

The clones responded by rushing Ulquiorra. "Ah, so we begin." Ulquiorra noted, remaining surprisingly calm in spite of the army that was rushing him.

Ulquiorra quickly went on the offensive. He threw a palm strike into the nearest Shadow Clone's stomach, sending him airborne. The clone immediately vanished in a puff of smoke. A second clone tried to stab Ulquiorra in the neck with a kunai, only for the kunai to actually break against his powerful Hierro. Ulquiorra calmly elbowed that clone before turning around and backhanding him into a third clone and popping both of them out of existence.

Then, a fourth Shadow Clone tossed a windmill shuriken at Ulquiorra. Frowning slightly at Naruto using such pitiful tactics, he caught the shuriken with ease. Then, the shuriken vanished into smoke and was replaced with a fifth clone. If Ulquiorra was surprised, he did not show it. The Shadow Clone quickly grabbed Ulquiorra's face as the Espada tried to free himself.

The Shadow Clone that had tossed the fake windmill shuriken, flanked by two other Shadow Clones, moved underneath Ulquiorra. "Na! Ru! To!" They yelled, kicking Ulquiorra into the air one at a time.

Ulquiorra grunted in surprise as he finally tossed that shadow clone away. Suddenly, he saw several thousand Shadow Clones above him. "2K!" They all yelled punching Ulquiorra one by one.

Ulquiorra dispassionately fell towards the ground. Two more Narutos were waiting for him. He quickly crossed his arms in an x to defend himself.

"Uzumaki Barrage!" The final two clones yelled, punching Ulquiorra simultaneously, sending him flying and ending the combo.

Ulquiorra managed to land on his feet, but was sliding back several feet. One of the Shadow Clones that had thrown one of the final two punches was suddenly grabbed by the other and tossed towards the Espada. This Shadow Clone drew another kunai as he flew above Ulquiorra.

Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes and grabbed the clone's wrist. "Do not think you can beat me with such simple ninja tactics, Naruto Uzumaki." He warned the boy.

The Shadow Clone just grinned and moved a few fingers from the hilt of the kunai, allowing a paper tag to fall limply before Ulquiorra. The tag suddenly lit up in fire, making the Espada gasp once more. It was an explosive tag! The tag exploded in Ulquiorra's face, making him flinch and destroying the Shadow Clone in the process.

Ulquiorra grunted, blinded by the flames of the explosion. Then he felt several massive surges in Chakra. When the flames and smoke cleared, he saw what it was. The real Naruto Uzumaki smirked, having created more Shadow Clones to surround Ulquiorra with a dome of Rasengan-wielding Ninja.

"Rasengan!" The second army of Shadow Clones yelled, raining spiraling blue death down onto the Espada.

Ulquiorra let out a brief yell of surprise as he took blast after blast from Naruto's signature Ninjutsu. With each blow, the Shadow Clone would vanish, having done its job. When the attack finally let up, Ulquiorra was left looking at the army of Shadow Clones that had been made earlier. They were still staring him down, ready for the fight.

For his part, Ulquiorra's jacket had only been burnt off by the constant Rasengan attacks. He took a deep breath, dusting himself off. "My turn." He said simply, holding both hands out in front of him. "Ola Cero."

The Shadow Clone Army all let out a yell of surprise as Ulquiorra fired a widespread green Cero that spanned about 100 yards, destroying a third of the Shadow Clone army in one fell swoop. "Whoa, what was that attack?" One Naruto yelled in surprise.

"Boss, we gotta scatter! We can't take another one of those!" Another added.

The real Naruto grit his teeth. "Yeah, you're right," he said, "spread out!"

The remaining army went after Ulquiorra once more. "Ola Cero can be an effective anti-army technique, but only when it's against dense fools. And using it multiple times would be a waste of Spirit Energy." Ulquiorra noted of his new technique.

Upon noting this, Ulquiorra was set upon once more by Naruto's army of Shadow Clones. This time, Ulquiorra went on the offensive as well, instead of simply defending and countering. He had seen what Naruto was capable of, as far as his Shadow Clone spamming went. He was confident his skill was more than enough to beat it.

He quickly swept the leg of the Shadow Clone he was nearest. He then slammed his elbow into the stomach of that Shadow Clone, driving him into the ground and popping him.

He quickly grabbed the faces of two other Shadow Clones that tried to attack him from both sides. He tightened his grip on their faces, crushing their skulls and destroying them as well. With his arms open, Ulquiorra was left open to a haymaker to the stomach from another Naruto. While another kicked him in the face.

Ulquiorra grunted slightly before glaring at the two clones. He spun away from the heel in his face, sending the Shadow Clone off balance and tumbling before impaling that Shadow Clone through the heart. He then drove his knee into the face of the Shadow Clone that had thrown the haymaker into his stomach. Both Shadow Clones vanished quickly.

Ulquiorra then looked up to see that several hundred Shadow Clones had leapt into the air and were preparing a downpour of Rasengans. "Rasengan!" The Shadow Clones all yelled, preparing to strike Ulquiorra once more.

"Not this time." Ulquiorra muttered, pointing his index finger at the raining Shadow Clones. "Cero Disperso!"

Ulquiorra fired a green laser from the tip of his finger that was seemingly just a regular Cero. Then, much to the shock of the remaining Shadow Clones in the army of Narutos, the beam dispersed into several different directions. It was as though the original point was a tree trunk, and all the scattered beams were like branches.

Then, each beam struck all the airborne Shadow Clones. A giant cloud was made from all the Shadow Clones dispersing into smoke. The real Naruto Uzumaki and his remaining Shadow Clones gazed at Ulquiorra's destructive capability in disbelief. _"Okay, yeah, he was definitely holding back during our fight in the palace."_ Naruto acknowledged.

" **Yeah, no duh."** Kurama deadpanned.

"Boss!" Naruto was snapped out of his gawking by the franticness of his Shadow Clones.

Naruto looked to see that Ulquiorra had gone back on the offensive. He had Sonido'd into the remaining crowd of Shadow Clones and was popping each and every one of them with one blow. A backhand. A punch. A kick. A barehanded stab. An elbow. A knee. Ulquiorra's entire body was utterly decimating the Shadow Clones.

Naruto grimaced at this. "Guess I should've figured this wasn't going to work." He muttered. "Can't help but feel like I've reached the point where just summoning entire armies of me isn't going to cut it."

"Okay then," Naruto closed his eyes for a brief moment before opening them, revealing the distinct eyes of Sage Mode, "guess that just means I need to step it up a notch."

Ulquiorra decapitated the last of the Shadow Clones with his bare hands before noticing the increase in power from the real Naruto Uzumaki. "It seems he's decided to drop this ridiculous notion of mere grunts trying to fight a general." Ulquiorra acknowledged. "Good, that was starting to become rather tedious."

Ulquiorra instinctively whipped his hand as though he were wiping blood from it, even though no blood existed because he had only been killing Shadow Clones. "A habit...interesting…" he mused to himself before noticing that Naruto was coming straight at him.

Naruto threw a right hook at Ulquiorra, who leaned back to avoid the punch, only to gasp when he felt the blow to his face regardless. Naruto then pushed himself off from the ground and kneed Ulquiorra in the stomach. "Urk!" Ulquiorra let out a grunt as he was knocked backwards from the force of Naruto's knee.

Naruto then quickly formed a Rasengan in one hand. Then, much to Ulquiorra's surprise, the Rasengan quickly grew bigger and bigger until it dwarfed him in size. "Sage Art!" He yelled. "Massive Rasengan!"

Ulquiorra let out a brief yell of pain as Naruto drove the giant swirling ball of Chakra into his body. Naruto grinned at this. _One thing I'm definitely proud of is how much better I've gotten at Chakra control over the years. I can even do stuff like this so easily now. If it wasn't for how useful Shadow Clones were for training and protecting crowds, I might not need them at all._

Ulquiorra dug his heels into the ground to stop moving backwards. He narrowed his eyes at Naruto. Ever so slowly, Ulquiorra was slowly starting to gain something of a competitive streak, as Naruto took everything he threw at him and responded in kind.

"Bala." Ulquiorra said simply, shooting at Naruto with a volley of concentrated blasts of Spirit Energy.

Naruto quickly sped through each of Ulquiorra's blasts, showcasing the incredible, natural speed of a Shinobi. He then appeared in front of Ulquiorra and threw a punch aimed at his stomach. Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes at the attack. He did not dodge this time. He simply concentrated his Hierro in his stomach and took the force of the punch head on...or stomach on, in this case.

 _He really is clever._ Naruto noted. _He figured out that dodging my attacks mean nothing while I'm in Sage Mode, so he's instead increasing his defenses to take the blow head on. But have you forgotten I've got two fists to kick your ass!_

" **As always I'm sure that sounded so much more badass in your head."** As always, Kurama had a front row seat to Naruto's thoughts.

Naruto ignored Kurama and brought his free hand back. Ulquiorra responded by doing the same. The two quickly punched each other square in the jaw. Both grunted in pain as they were swept off their feet by the blows.

Both men dug their heels into the ground. Naruto quickly formed another Rasengan in his hand. "Sage Art: Flying Rasengan!" Naruto yelled, tossing the sphere at Ulquiorra, striking him in the stomach.

"Urk!" Ulquiorra let out another grunt of pain.

Naruto took this as an opportunity to land a decisive blow. "Sage Art!" He yelled, quickly creating a very familiar, sphere covered in blades. "Rasenshuriken!"

Ulquiorra acted quickly. He instinctively blocked the spinning blades barehanded. However, much to his horror, he quickly discovered how big a mistake that actually was. He felt miniature blades begin to cut through his Hierro, even attacking him on a microscopic level. "That's not…" He muttered in disbelief before the Rasenshuriken actually expanded, enveloping him in a storm of microscopic blades.

"Hell yeah!" Naruto let out a cheer, pumping his fist in the air instinctively.

" **Don't celebrate just yet, you idiot!"** Kurama sharply told him. **"You and I both know that's not going to be enough to bring a guy like this down."**

" _I know,"_ Naruto nodded in complete agreement, _"but come on, Kurama, you've gotta at least agree that landing a decent hit on someone like that warrants a little bit of celebration."_

Kurama rolled his eyes. **"Even if that is true, don't forget that being cocky puts us both at risk, dumb ass."**

The Rasenshuriken finally cleared up. Ulquiorra was visibly shaking from the blast, gazing at Naruto with a look mixed with hate and annoyance. Blood dripped from the near thousand open wounds all over his body. Then, much to Naruto's surprise, Ulquiorra quickly regenerated.

"There is still much about me...I have not shown you." Ulquiorra nodded. "For starters, my regenerative abilities...I believe they would make even you green with envy, Naruto Uzumaki. My death...only came after I no longer had the strength to regenerate."

"Incredible physical strength, great speed, and even a body capable of regenerating even the most grievous of injuries." Naruto could not help but smile. "Man, you really are something. And you still haven't even given it your all, yet. Honestly, the old me...little 12 year old me...he would've been so jealous, seeing all this skill of yours."

Ulquiorra nodded. "You are correct, I haven't given it my all. Some habits just...die hard. I just cannot bring myself to fight at my best from the beginning." He admitted.

Ulquiorra then drew his Zanpakuto. "But, no more. Consider this the second part of our next battle, Naruto Uzumaki. I shall give you the first round...considering the strength of that Rasenshuriken of yours."

"Don't sell yourself short, the fact you pretty much put yourself back together after what's basically a sure-kill attack, I kinda want to name you the winner of the first round." Naruto joked. "Okay, show me what you and that Zanpakuto have got, Ulquiorra! I haven't fought one like you since Ichigo, so a part of me has to admit...even I'm excited!"

Ulquiorra quickly Sonido'd in front of Naruto. "Don't blame me for what happens next, fool." He hissed, intent on taking Naruto's head off in a single swing.

Naruto quickly caught Ulquiorra's first swing with his bare hand. "I was about to tell you the same." He said, quickly forming a Rasengan. "Sage Art: Rasengan!"

Ulquiorra Sonido'd around Naruto, avoiding the Rasengan at point blank. Naruto then grit his teeth as he felt Ulquiorra drive his Zanpakuto into his back. "Aw crap." He muttered.

"Hmm...you're body is quite tough...I can't move it any further." Ulquiorra mused.

Naruto quickly regained his composure and spun around, forcing the blade out of his back and backhanding Ulquiorra in the face, hard. Ulquiorra was briefly knocked off balance before recovering and attempting to cleave Naruto in half.

Naruto once again caught the blade with his bare hand. Ulquiorra briefly saw blood run down Naruto's hand before the wound quickly closed itself thanks to Kurama's help. _Oh, I see, so in order to win...I need to simply go for the killing blow...and not bleed this fool to death._

"Bala!" Ulquiorra blasted Naruto away from him. He saw that the burn mark on his chest vanish as quickly as it appeared.

"Sage Art: Flying Rasengan!" Naruto yelled, tossing the sphere at Ulquiorra once more.

Ulquiorra Sonido'd past the Rasengan with ease. "Man, I can't get over how fast that guy is." Naruto muttered as Ulquiorra appeared in front of him.

Ulquiorra aimed his Zanpakuto right at Naruto's throat. Naruto quickly reacted and kicked Ulquiorra's wrist, knocking his attack off balance and redirecting the blade into the air. Ulquiorra pointed his finger right at Naruto as green Spirit Energy began to gather at the tip. "Your off balance." He said bluntly.

"And your careless." Naruto responded as a shadow descended over Ulquiorra.

Ulquiorra gasped slightly when he looked up to see a giant blade coming down on him. Acting quickly, he Sonido'd away from the attack. Naruto let out a small gasp when he saw the wielder of the blade. Even though he had hidden a Shadow Clone to use the Summoning Jutsu...he still was not expecting who actually showed up.

"What? Chief Toad?" Naruto gaped in disbelief.

"Long time no see, my number one subordinate." Gamabunta, the Chief Toad of Mt. Myoboku said in his booming voice.

"Hold on! I was summoning Gamakichi this time! What the hell?!" Naruto had wanted his personal summon and friend, Gamakichi.

"My boy is a little busy at the moment, so I tagged in. Besides, you haven't used the toads much during this war...and as chief, it's highly dishonorable to leave me out." Gamabunta responded.

"Says the jerk who didn't even show up when I tried to summon you during the last war!" Naruto shot back.

"What's this?" Gamabunta raised an eyebrow. "Is my pintsized, bratty subordinate getting a bit big for his britches?"

Ulquiorra reappeared off to the side, looking at Naruto and Gamabunta with genuine confusion on his face. "A...toad?" He muttered.

Naruto then remembered the fight with Ulquiorra. "Gah, that's right!" He groaned. "Er...hey, Great Chief, do you think you can do me a solid and lend me a hand in this fight? Having your great sword to go against his sword will go a long way to my...er, our victory."

Gamabunta just laughed. "No need to brown-nose so much, brat. Though it is music to my ears" He said. "I've already accepted you as my subordinate."

"Which means." Gamabunta turned his attention to Ulquiorra. "I've got your back against this one, and any other foes you might have to face. I have to admit, I can sense his power, and he's an intriguing one."

Ulquiorra scowled. "This day...has become quite strange." He acknowledges. "Since I've already fought against an army of yous...fighting against your...giant toad ally wouldn't be too strange."

"By the way, brat, a lot of toads back home are telling me that Jiraiya is summoning them again." Gamabunta said to him. "Mind telling me what that's all about?"

"Oh yeah, Pervy Sage is back. Long story, I'll tell you the whole thing later if you're interested." Naruto nodded. "I'm surprised he hasn't summoned you yet, considering how close you two seemed back then."

"Bah, Jiraiya's probably afraid I'll squash him after he summons me...and I will." Gamabunta threatened. "You promise me you'll find some way to trick him into summoning me, we have a lot to catch up on."

"Ha! You got yourself a deal, Chief Toad!" Naruto grinned. "Now, let's go show Ulquiorra here the strength of Mt. Myoboku!"

With that, Naruto and Gamabunta rushed Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra scoffed. _Hmph, I'm no fool. He summoned that giant toad for his swordsmanship. Even if he can block my blade with his bare hands, taking the sharp edge of an Arrancar's Zanpakuto is a foolish notion that will eventually backfire. Eventually, you need to meet steel with steel. And that's what the toad is for._

 _That means, while the toad is engaging me blade for blade, I can expect Naruto Uzumaki to continue throwing powerful Ninjutsu at me. A clever tactic...one I'd expect from a Shinobi._

"I'll squash you like a fly!" Gamabunta yelled, swinging his tanto down towards Ulquiorra.

Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes and raised his Zanpakuto over his head, blocking Gamabunta's swing. The impact created a massive crater with Ulquiorra in the dead center. "What phenomenal strength." Ulquiorra acknowledged.

"He wouldn't be the chief toad if he wasn't a badass!" Naruto said, appearing behind Ulquiorra.

"You almost had me thinking you were fighting cleverly but then you pull the easiest trick to read in the book!" Ulquiorra noted, pointing his finger at Naruto. "Cero!"

Naruto was quickly enveloped in the blast. "You're the fool, little man." He heard Gamabunta say to him.

Ulquiorra looked up at Gamabunta. "What?" He said flatly.

"That brat's always thinking several steps ahead." Gamabunta said with a grin. "Do you really think you've figured him out so easily?"

Naruto suddenly appeared above Ulquiorra. "Sage Art: Rasengan!" Naruto yelled, slamming the spiraling ball of Chakra down onto Ulquiorra's head, creating a loud boom upon impact.

 _What the hell happened?_ Ulquiorra was in disbelief. _I know I blasted him point blank with a Cero! And I know that was the real Naruto...there is nothing my eyes can't see! So how?_

 _Bah, no matter!_ Ulquiorra managed to recover enough and grab Naruto by the face. _I'll kill you as many times as it takes, Naruto Uzumaki!_

Ulquiorra threw Naruto over his shoulder into the ground. "This time I've got you!" Ulquiorra declared, only for Gamabunta to suddenly leap into the air.

"No, fool, we've got you!" Gamabunta declared. "Water Style: Liquid Bullets!"

Creating water in his body through Chakra, Gamabunta spat out orb-like projectiles of water from his mouth that were the size of massive boulders. Ulquiorra gasped as they rapidly increased speed while falling towards him and Naruto. The force of gravity was being added to the attack's already impressive power. _Wait...why would he fire off such an attack with Naruto Uzumaki so close by? Does he not care if his comrade is caught in the blast?_

Ulquiorra then caught Naruto smirking at him triumphantly. Ulquiorra gasped slightly. _Wait...something's different about him...no...he switched places with a Shadow Clone! Then before…_

Ulquiorra then remembered the water coming towards him. _Damn, I was distracted!_ Ulquiorra realized his mistake too late and took the full force of the Liquid Bullets. The Shadow Clone took the force as well and popped out of existence.

The real Naruto suddenly appeared on Gamabunta's head. "Nice shooting, Chief!" Naruto complimented.

Gamabunta laughed as he landed on the ground. "Have you forgotten who you're talking too, brat? No matter how old I get, I'm still the Chief Toad. It'll be years before Gamakichi can take that position from me."

Ulquiorra then emerged from the wreckage with a broken arm that was grotesquely molding itself back into place. "Now I see…" he muttered. "It seems in treating you like I did Ichigo Kurosaki...I underestimated you."

"He's a persistent one." Gamabunta acknowledged.

"Yeah, I know." Naruto nodded.

"Indeed," Ulquiorra continued, "I was a fool to believe that you would take the same approach to battle as Ichigo Kurosaki did. That was my mistake."

"When you attempted to attack me head on earlier, I had believed you were attempting a frontal assault, just like he would've done." Ulquiorra admitted. "However...you had hidden Shadow Clones from me during the first phase of our fight...haven't you?"

Ulquiorra took a moment to survey the area around him in its entirety. "Yes," he continued, "now I see it. Once my eyes are properly focused, I can see it all. You could've only hidden your Shadow Clones during the first phase of our fight, when you were sending an entire army to face me."

"And by hiding them, you're able to swap places with them to avoid my attacks safely." Ulquiorra noted. "Ichigo Kurosaki would've never fought in such a way."

"Well, to be fair, Ichigo can't exactly clone himself." Naruto countered.

Ulquiorra hummed at this. "And then there is this...chief toad of yours. I must admit, that last attack was impressive. I actually felt it." He admitted. "If my regenerative abilities were not the greatest among the Espada...I might actually have difficulty fighting my best."

Ulquiorra scowled. "But, it all comes down to the fact that I made the foolish mistake of treating you like Ichigo Kurosaki." He acknowledged. "Ichigo Kurosaki is a simple fool who's method of dealing with problems involves hitting them until they no longer can get up. You, on the other hand, are hyperactive and yet surprisingly methodical."

"However," Ulquiorra continued, "I've found that the best way to deal with someone who fights methodically, is to simply overwhelm them. From here on out, Naruto Uzumaki, you fight at my own pace."

"Heh, for someone who claims he doesn't understand the heart, you're getting pretty emotional, Ulquiorra." Naruto could not help but point out.

"So it would seem," Ulquiorra acknowledged, "then I've managed to succeed in some way today. Contrary to what I had believed for so long, I am far from empty."

"It's strange, I'm not sure how I feel about this revelation." Ulquiorra continued. "However...I do know one thing. Right now, what my heart desires more than anything, is your destruction, Naruto Uzumaki."

"In the end, I'm just as much a beast as my brethren. I simply must crush those who try to surpass me in the universe's hierarchy. It is my nature."

"Heh, welcome to the club." Naruto grinned. "No matter our reasons, we've all got one thing in common. We all want to be at the very top, to surpass everyone else. It's because of that, our goals and reasons become important."

"And that's why I won't lose to you, Ulquiorra."

"I hope you're able to say that so confidently after this." Ulquiorra raised his Zanpakuto horizontally. "Now then, why don't I tell you something rather important about the Espada?"

"As I'm sure you know by now, all Arrancar can access a form more akin to their hollowfied state known as Resurrecion." Ulquiorra explained. "And of the many who can access Resurrecion, those who achieve the rank of Espada have the strongest of forms."

"However, even among the Espada, there are some who's Resurrecion is so powerful that releasing it constitutes a threat to the environment around them." Ulquiorra revealed, shocking both Naruto and Gamabunta.

"Do you understand, Naruto Uzumaki?" Ulquiorra inquired. "Among the Espada, all ranked at Number 4 and above...were barred from releasing our Resurrecion within the halls of our headquarters, Las Noches. For our immense power...would destroy the fortress around us."

"And my rank is 4th." Ulquiorra was slowly enveloped by black and green Spirit Energy. "So allow me to grant you a taste of that power."

"Brat, be on your guard." Gamabunta warned him.

"Yeah, I know." Naruto nodded.

"Imprison," Ulquiorra said in a calm but surprisingly determined tone, "Murcielago!"

Ulquiorra's already immense spiritual power skyrocketed upon releasing his true power. Naruto and Gamabunta gasped as Ulquiorra's black and green spirit energy permeated the area around the Espada.

"Holy whoa…" Naruto muttered in surprise.

"That's some insane power." Gamabunta acknowledged. "Even Jiraiya might have a hard time fighting against him now."

The spirit energy then coalesced into what looked like green rain that fell around Naruto, Gamabunta and Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra then revealed himself, clad in his Resurrecion, the form known as Murcielago. His white outfit had become more robe-like in appearance. Black bat wings had grown from his back. Two large horns had grown from his Hollow mask.

"So...he flies now." Naruto noted.

" **Yes, Captain Obvious, yes he does. The wings are a dead giveaway."** Kurama face-palmed at Naruto saying something so stupid and obvious.

Naruto rolled his eyes at Kurama's words. He turned his attention back to Gamabunta. "Let's do this, Chief Toad."

Gamabunta nodded, readying his tanto, only for Ulquiorra to vanish from both of their sights. Gamabunta gasped, losing his composure for the first time in years as Ulquirora suddenly reappeared in front of him, delivering a powerful haymaker to the chief toad's stomach. "Gah!" Gamabunta yelled in surprise as the force of the blow swept him off his feet, sending him flying through nearby rock formations...which were actually coral. This was Fishman Island, after all.

"Chief!" Naruto yelled at Gamabunta in concern before realizing that Ulquiorra was immediately turning his attention to him.

Ulquiorra quickly grabbed Naruto by the face and lifted him into the air. Naruto frantically flailed about, trying to escape Ulquiorra's surprisingly strong grip. "I could crush your skull if I so wished...and I think I will. I must effectively crush all opposition." Ulquiorra tightened his grip until he heard the sickening sound of bones popping in his grip.

Then, Naruto suddenly vanished. Ulquirora scowled. "So, he still has more Shadow Clones hiding about?"

The real Naruto rushed to Gamabunta's side. "Chief Toad, are you okay?" He frantically asked the big toad.

"Gah...sorry, brat, he got me good there." Gamabunta groaned. "Damn, it's been years since I've been hit that hard. Or maybe I'm just getting old like Jiraiya and Elder Fukusaku."

"Can you get up?" Naruto asked curiously.

"Bah, of course I can, I'm the Chief Toad, am I not?" Gamabunta tried to get to his feet, only to fall over again with a loud boom. "Nope, no I can't. Yeah, I really have gotten old. Sorry, brat, but I think you're on your own from here on out. Sorry I can't help you out more."

"No way, you did your best and that was what mattered. Don't worry, I've got this." Naruto grinned. "When you get back to Mt. Myoboku, give Gamakichi a piece of my mind."

"Heh, I'll do more than that." Gamabunta promised. "When I see that boy, his schedule is going to be empty for the rest of this damn war. Best of luck, brat."

With that, Gamabunta vanished, returning to Mt. Myoboku. Naruto immediately sensed Ulquiorra flying towards him at incredible speed. He quickly pivoted and formed a Rasengan. Yelling, he drove the Rasengan towards Ulquiorra, who stabbed forward with a light green lance.

The two attacks collided, creating a blast of light blue and light green that blasted both individuals backwards. Ulquiorra flapped his bat like wings before flying towards Naruto once again. Naruto dug his feet in the ground. Suddenly, his last two Shadow Clones appeared next to him, grabbing his arms to brace him in place.

"Ah good, your Shadow Clones decided to show themselves." Ulquiorra noted.

 _Damn, these are my last two Shadow Clones too. I still can only use a limited number because I'd take away the concentration the other Shadow Clones back at Mt. Myoboku need in order to gather natural energy for Sage Mode._

"Luz de la Luna." Ulquiorra created another light-green lance of Spirit Energy.

Naruto and his last two Shadow Clones bravely stood their ground as Ulquiorra appeared before them. Ulquiorra spun the lance around threateningly before swinging it at one of the Shadow Clones. The real Naruto instinctively grabbed the Luz de la Luna and winced at the burning sensation of grabbing pure Spirit Energy. The other Shadow Clone quickly formed a Rasengan to strike at Ulquiorra while the one Naruto had protected kicked the ground, knocking some dirt and dust right into the Espada's face in an attempt to blind him.

Ulquiorra flinched briefly before regaining his composure and blocked the Rasengan with his bare arm. "His Hierro is stronger now?!" Naruto exclaimed in surprise.

Ulquiorra then threw his blocking arm forward, forcing the attacking Shadow Clone away from him. He then exerted more strength into his lance arm and forced the lance right into the real Naruto's shoulder, making the shinobi yell in pain.

"Boss!" The other Shadow Clone who had kicked up dirt into Ulquiorra's eyes was distracted at the sight of the real Naruto's injuries, only to be blasted right through the chest by a Bala.

"I will not begrudge you for such a tactic." Ulquiorra promised. "After all, as a Shinobi, all tactics are permitted in battle, yes?"

"I believe...that the same can be said for any kind of fight for survival. That was the way Hueco Mundo has been from the beginning, after all." Ulquiorra continued.

That Shadow Clone popped out of existence, leaving Naruto and one final Shadow Clone to fight Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra then drove his Luz de la Luna right through Naruto's shoulder. The tip protruded from the other side, making Naruto grit his teeth in pain.

Without even looking, Ulquiorra trained his free hand on the last of the Shadow Clone. "Cero Oscuras!" He said vaporizing that Shadow Clone out of existence.

"That seemed like overkill." Naruto spat.

"Against a foe like you, overkill is appropriate." Ulquiorra countered.

Naruto grabbed onto the collar of Ulquiorra's shirt and headbutted him, trying to get him off of him. Ulquiorra shrugged off the blow easily and formed another Luz de la Luna in his free hand. He attempted to drive it through Naruto's skull, only for Naruto to lean out of the way in time for it to strike his shoulder instead.

"I really must commend your reflexes, Naruto Uzumaki." Ulquiorra admitted. "Had you been a millisecond later, your brain would have been impaled by my lance and fried by the might of my Spirit Energy."

"Really not in the mood for your backhanded compliments, Ulquiorra." Naruto responded through gritted teeth.

"Backhanded compliments? How rude." Ulquirora scoffed. "I am not one for such idiocy. Do not mock me by calling my compliments backhanded."

Ulquiorra tried to drive both lances deeper into Naruto's body, only for Naruto to grab onto Ulquiorra's arm. "I can do this all day, Ulquiorra." He warned him. "Hell, I can do this all week! I'm sure your bosses have warned you about getting into a prolonged fight with Naruto Uzumaki!"

"Indeed, you are, as my superiors have quoted, 'a living Chakra battery'." Ulquiorra acknowledged. "That being said, I hope you do realize that the further you get into this war, the less special that stamina becomes."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, I'm sure you know this by now, but there are people out there who are far more terrifying than I could ever hope to be. And I'm not just talking about people like the remaining Acts of Chaos, the Marine Admirals, Lord Aizen, and all those other people."

"I'm also talking about Lord Konton and his kingdom of monsters."

Naruto stiffened at this. "I see you do understand." Ulquiorra nodded. "That's good. Answer me this, Naruto Uzumaki, for I am truly curious as someone who wishes to learn about the heart."

"How does one cary on a hopeless endeavor?" Ulquiorra inquired sincerely. "Whether I understand the heart or not...I think I understand what it means to be marching to inevitable despair. Take it from someone who has actually seen the elites of Rakuen actually train and prepare for battle. Take it from someone who is even serving under the command of one of the Circles."

Naruto's eyes widened. "That is right, Naruto Uzumaki," Ulquiorra continued, "the one leading our forces is indeed a Circle. Not in the flesh, but still highly dangerous, and in my opinion, more than enough."

"So I ask again, how does one carry on a hopeless endeavor?" Ulquiorra asked once more. "All you have managed to accomplish so far is speeding your end. When your Alliance defeated Zeref on Tenrou Island, you did manage to take back the Wizard World. However, you also put Rakuen on notice, and encouraged them to take a more active role in this war. You basically asked your executioners to move you to the front of the line."

Naruto scowled at this. "Glare at me all you wish, it's the truth." Ulquiorra sighed. "You cannot defeat these people, Naruto Uzumaki. I did my best to learn of the history of their world, and it specifically said that Watchers should not interact with other worlds for this very reason...among plenty of other specific reasons, of course. Because if a group of powerful Watchers decided to conquer a world, they would be nigh unstoppable. And now, an entire kingdom's army intends to do so to several worlds."

"So answer me this, from a man consumed by that which the heart provides, tell me: is it truly worth opposing such a mighty force."

Naruto just chuckled at this. "What? Do you really take me as some sort of pragmatic bastard who'd up and surrender to save his own hide?"

"You are a ninja, are you not? Isn't pragmatism part of the job?" Ulquiorra countered.

"You clearly don't know me. I'm probably the least 'ninja' ninja in the entire world." Naruto smirked.

"Do you think I don't realize how dangerous Rakuen is? I fought a fragment of Konton's freaking mind back in the Wizard World. A fragment that could probably only draw on one percent of that psycho's full power, and I still got my ass kicked." Naruto pointed out. "And then there's the fact that Chitsujo stomped that Dragon King, Acnologia and beat Luffy with a single finger. A finger!"

"I know how dangerous the Watchers are. I know that with every victory, my friends are marching closer to an even greater danger." Naruto acknowledged. "Do you think I don't realize that? Just because perception of me is that I'm an idiot doesn't mean I don't perceive the looming danger ahead!"

"So why?" Ulquiorra asked.

"Because frankly, the alternative sucks ass." Naruto said simply. "I'll take a proud death fighting for what I believe in over a life of bowing my head to an ass like Konton. Courage isn't just blindly charging into danger, Ulquiorra. It's knowing the danger and not letting it stop you regardless."

Ulquiorra scowled. "I...still cannot comprehend the resolve you and Ichigo Kurosaki share." He acknowledged. "And...I can only assume Monkey D. Luffy and Natsu Dragneel share the same attitude on the matter."

"Damn straight," Naruto grinned, "and it's not just us. Everyone's bought into the same mentality. We're not giving up until we've won this whole damn war and everyone gets to go home in peace."

"You want to know about the heart that badly, Ulquiorra?" Naruto continued. "Well, lesson number one, the first part of the heart is that if there's something you truly care about or believe in, you don't give up on it!"

"Allow me to show you, let's go, Kurama!" Naruto yelled.

" **About time you used my power you idiot. Now get those lances off of you and kick this guy's ass!"** Kurama grinned, slapping his hands together.

Naruto was quickly enveloped in an aura of orange Chakra that quickly transformed into his Nine Tails Chakra Mode. Ulquiorra's eyes widened as Naruto's Chakra levels spiked even higher than before. "So, you were holding back even more power." He noted.

"I was saving it, on the off-chance I'd run into someone even stronger than you." Naruto admitted. "However, our goal is to keep advancing. Keep progressing until the very end of this war. I can't do that...if I don't take you down right here and now, Ulquiorra."

Several claws of pure Chakra suddenly formed and crushed Ulquiorra's Luz de la Luna lances with a nice, strong grip. Ulquiorra instinctively retreated from Naruto upon witnessing this happen. Even Ichigo had not been able to outright destroy his lances during the fight.

Naruto, however, did not let up. If Ulquiorra wanted things up close and personal, he was going to get it and he was going to like it. He quickly formed a Giant Rasengan with three smaller Rasengan orbiting around it like the moons of a planet. "Planet Rasengan!" He yelled, quickly catching up to Ulquiorra and driving the unique Rasengan into the Espada's chest.

"Mmf!" Ulquiorra grunted. The attack was actually punching right through his hierro!

Ulquiorra was then enveloped in a powerful vortex that sent him flying away from Naruto. The blast continued to rip into his body, smashing through his hierro and seriously damaging the Espada.

He then managed to use his bat wings to flap his way out of the vortex, escaping the Planet Rasengan's power, albeit barely. He found himself panting. Whether it was due to fatigue from the sheer might of the blast...or fear from that attack's power, Ulquiorra honestly did not know.

Naruto then appeared next to him. "Luz de la Luna!" Ulquiorra quickly created another lance to try and stab Naruto right through that damn face of his.

"Not gonna work!" Naruto yelled, creating a Chakra arm that punched the lance, breaking it easily. Ulquiorra found himself attempting to retreat once more, only for Naruto to create another Chakra arm that threw a haymaker right into the Espada's face. The force of the punch created a loud boom that reverberated throughout their battlefield.

Ulquiorra found himself losing strength in his wings due to a loss of focus from the force of the blow. He recovered and pointed his hand at Naruto. "Cero Oscuras!" He yelled, firing the immensely powerful Cero at Naruto.

Naruto calmly charged right into the Cero, much to Ulquiorra's surprise. _He's completely insane! Fully dedicated to his goal of winning this war for the sake of peace!_ Ulquiorra noted before realizing. _He's fearless!_

Naruto then appeared in front of Ulquiorra, unfazed by the Cero Oscuras. He punched Ulquiorra in the stomach once more, sending him flying. That blow set off another loud boom. He then generated another Chakra arm that grabbed onto the Espada and pulled him right back to him, like a yo-yo.

Ulquiorra's eyes widened, trying to free himself before Naruto delivered a powerful kick that sent Ulquiorra airborne. "Flying Rasengan!" Naruto yelled, forming several Rasengan with several of his Chakra arms. "Volley Blast!"

All the Chakra arms tossed the Rasengans right at Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra frantically flapped his bat wings, combining them with his Sonido to avoid the attacks. He quickly formed two Luz de la Luna and tossed them at Naruto, who easily caught the lances and snapped them in half with two Chakra arms. "Haven't you figured out that isn't going to work on me anymore?" Naruto queried.

Naruto then sped right to Ulquiorra, appearing in front of him in under a second. Naruto gave him a grin. "And here's a new move, straight from my bro, Monkey D. Luffy!" All of his Chakra arms clenched into giant fists.

Ulquiorra gave an uncharacteristic expression of sheer terror at the sight of the hell Naruto was about to unleash upon him. "Nine-Tails Gatling!" Naruto yelled, firing off the Chakra arms in a volley of punches completely reminiscent of Luffy's Gum Gum Jet Gatling. However, there was a very key difference here: Luffy only had two fists. Naruto was punching Ulquiorra with eleven, including his own fists.

To put things in numbers, consider this: let's say that Luffy's Gum Gum Jet Gatling could fire off two thousand punches throughout the volley-like attack. That was one thousand punches per fist. And Naruto was punching Ulquiorra with eleven fists. Naruto Uzumaki, by the end of this volley of punches, would bring the pain to Ulquiorra Cifer _eleven thousand times_.

On the eleven-thousandth punch, Ulquiorra was punched right through several reefs. His mouth was open in a silent scream as he realized how many of his bones Naruto had broken in this volley of powerful punches. If his regenerative abilities were not so amazingly powerful, Naruto would have ended up right then and there.

Of course, Naruto himself knew this and went after the heavily injured Ulquiorra. "Ce-" Ulquiorra began, only to be grabbed once more by one of Naruto's Chakra arms.

 _Oh God, not again!_ For the first time in...probably forever, Ulquiorra was not looking forward to the terror Naruto was about to inflict upon him. He was afraid.

This time, however, Naruto tossed Ulquiorra into the air. He was doing so to keep any allies safe from what he was about to do to Ulquiorra. _No…_ Ulquiorra moaned inwardly, horrified by what he was about to experience.

A Shadow Clone suddenly appeared at Naruto's side. The two worked together to form a strange, dark-colored Rasengan. "This is where you lose, Ulquiorra!" Naruto declared, pushing the miniature orb towards Ulquiorra with a Chakra arm. "Super Mini Tailed Beast Bomb!"

Ulquiorra's eyes widened as the tiny orb came towards him. _Now I see,_ he thought, _this is the heart. Resolve. Resolve to live. Resolve to believe. Resolve to love. Resolve to fight. Resolve to win. Resolve...is the heart._

The Super Mini Tailed Beast Bomb collided with Ulquiorra. "I'm far from empty too." Naruto acknowledged. "I'm filled with nothing but desire to move forward...and win!"

And with that declaration, the Super Mini Tailed Beast Bomb collided with Ulquiorra, enveloping him and the sky above Naruto in an explosion of flame and dark-colored Chakra.

Meanwhile, Erza Scarlet and Jellal Fernandes continued to lead the charge to Ryugu Palace. They could now see the palace in the horizon. Jellal narrowed his eyes. He could already sense a terrifying presence inside of that palace. They were probably still several miles away from the palace, but he could still sense that a true monster was waiting for them all inside of the palace.

The remaining soldiers of the 5th Fleet had managed to reunite for their final battle at Ryugu Palace. Their shared goal was now in sight. It was time to put an end to this nightmare, for the memories of all the people of Fishman Island who suffered the horrifying atrocities the man in charge of this whole thing no doubt okayed.

Back in the palace, Sagi the Fraud heaved an annoyed sigh at the sound of the chaos outside of the palace. "Unbelievable," he groaned, "are all those otherworlder 'comrades' of mine such useless fleas that I have to do everything myself."

"I threw them a damn bone in angering the Alliance so much they'd separate and make themselves vulnerable, and they still could not win. Oh well, if you want something done right, do it yourself."

"Master Sagi!" A Rakuen soldier ran inside. It was a different one from the one that had usually spoken to him on matters on Fishman Island. Probably because Sagi kept terrifying and threatening him.

Sagi, of course, did not even notice that the guy was completely different, but acknowledged his presence. "What is it?" He demanded.

"Our troops have formed a defensive perimeter around Ryugu Palace. We're awaiting your orders on where to proceed from here." The soldier told him.

Sagi nodded. "Good," he said, "contact the men on the palace walls, tell them to dump every ounce of Project Wine into the trenches. We'll drown those fools in the dark liquid that infuriated them in the first place."

This horrified the soldier. "The trenches...Project Wine...but sir!" He exclaimed. "Our troops are stationed in front of the trenches! Those trenches were dug to lead to the same exit points! If we pour out everything left over from the Project Wine experiments...we'll kill our own! Our soldiers...they all think the idea is to retreat inside the palace and then dump Project Wine on the Alliance."

"That would be because they never would've gone out to fight if they knew the truth." Sagi pointed out darkly and sagely. "And, the Alliance would've never charged so foolishly towards us if they didn't think they were walking straight into a trap."

"But...but…"

"Oh, don't worry, young man, I'm not actually going to ask you to give the order. I'm going to do it myself. The men on the palace walls are waiting for my word after all." Sagi said. "But make no mistake, Project Wine will be used."

"Just be glad that you're not with them. You get to live another day." Sagi said in a disturbingly happy tone. "Now then…"

The soldier could only whimper in horror at what Sagi was about to do. Sagi pressed a communication device on what was basically the Faux Man's ear and spoke into it. "This is Sagi," he said, "once the Alliance has begun clashing with the soldiers on the defensive line that has been formed, pour all of Project Wine into the trenches. They'll either die gasping for air...or die screaming as the mere touch from the liquid will burn their skin and poison their bodies."

"I repeat, once the first blades clash together, dump all of Project Wine into the trenches."

"As you command, Master Sagi, in the name of Rakuen, in the name of His Majesty." Came the response from the officer Sagi was speaking with.

Sagi chuckled and cut communications. "See, there you go, I just freed you from the responsibility of delivering that order." He told him. "Aren't I just the kindest? Go on, thank me. Right now."

"Of...of course. Thank you Master Sagi. Your kindness knows no bounds." The soldier gulped audibly.

"That's a good boy." Sagi said as though he were praising a dog. "Now, you are dismissed. You will remain inside the castle for further instructions."

The soldier quickly dismissed himself. Sagi just chuckled at the new situation. "The majority of those soldiers making up the defensive line are otherworlders...expendable assets." He noted. "And of course, the people stationed on the castle walls are soldiers whom I know will follow even the most...unpleasant of orders."

"I'm not a fool. I am the genius behind Rakuen's greatness and strength after all." Sagi said to himself. "I know that in order to give orders like that, you need soldiers to follow those orders. And when you give orders like those...orders that involve sacrificing soldiers. You need to make sure that the soldiers you are sacrificing are expendable."

"Our ultimate goal after all...is to turn Rakuen into a universal superpower...thee superpower. So the more...necessary sacrifices from our 'allies' the better." Sagi darkly added.

"I hope you're both watching in some way. Lord Konton, once you see what my latest creation has accomplished, I hope you have plenty of praise for yours truly once I'm done here."

"And as for you, Chitsujo." Sagi continued, chuckling some more. "I hope you watch this...and realize how foolish it was to dismiss me the way you did."

"My genius could've been yours, King of Foolishness." Sagi laughed. "But you looked at the living avatar of progress and you dismissed it! And now, you're going to pay the price by watching as the people you love suffer!"

Back with the 5th Fleet, Jellal and Erza led the charge as the 5th Fleet met the last defensive line before the palace in battle. "This is the final push!" Jellal yelled, rallying his men. "Don't hold back, give them everything you've got!"

"Fight hard for your friends and for the people!" Erza added. "Think about all the pain they've caused Fishman Island and return it tenfold!"

Atop the palace walls, Rakuen soldiers placed their hands on cauldrons with black, bubbling liquid. The same liquid that had been the cause of the deaths of so many of the captured residents of Fishman Island. "Just like Master Sagi ordered...as soon as the enemy clashes with our forces...dump everything from Project Wine into the trenches." The officer in command said. "Dump it. Dump it all!"

"For Rakuen!" The Rakuen soldiers all tilted Project Wine, dumping it into the various trenches. They all watched in satisfaction as the black liquid began rushing towards the exit points...towards their own men and the enemy.

Almost instantly, the battle stopped as the soldiers on both sides heard the sound of what appeared to be rushing waters. Jellal went pale when he heard the fearful voice of a soldier from the Coalition. "No...they didn't...did they really...Project Wine!"

 _Project Wine...what are they talking about?_ Jellal wondered.

Jellal could not help but notice what appeared to be trenches. His curiosity and concern getting the better of him, Jellal used Meteor to fly above the battlefield. Jellal's eyes then widened when he saw why the Coalition soldiers were all so frightened. Black liquid was rushing through the many trenches like raging rivers towards several exit points...exit points they were standing right in front of. He immediately recognized the liquid as what the people of Fishman Island had been forced into.

"Oh God, no." Jellal moaned in horror before yelling at his troops. "Earth Style Shinobi, get to the front and create defensive walls! All other forces fall back!"

Several Shinobi with Earth Style-affinities ran to the frontlines while Coalition soldiers frantically stumbled past them. They prepared their Hand Signs to create a wall of earth to stop the dangerous flow of black liquid.

However, instantly, several completely white individuals popped up from the ground and put all of them in full nelsons. "What the hell?" One soldier exclaimed in shock.

"Sorry, but we can't have you ruining the fun." One of the White Zetsus said cruelly to the Shinobi.

Back in the palace, Sagi could not help but laugh. "Of course, I planned for all possible contingencies." He admitted. "The White Zetsus know that they are expendable, for they are merely clones, so they play the role willingly."

"Run!" Jellal screamed to his soldiers. "Everyone, run as fast as you can!"

Both sides retreated away from the palace as the black liquid came rushing out of the trenches, spreading out and creating a lake of death. This lake of death quickly enveloped the White Zetsu clones and the Shinobi they had grabbed onto, making them vanish into the blackness.

Coalition and Alliance soldiers alike screamed as the black liquids of Project Wine caught up with them, and enveloped them in a black wave. Back on the ground, Erza Scarlet instinctively transformed into her Heaven's Wheel armor and grabbed onto the nearest soldier that had been enveloped in the liquids and pulled him out.

Erza held the soldier by his arms as she flew into the air next to Jellal. "Hang on," Erza told him, "we're going to find you some help, we're-"

"It...IT HURTS!" The soldier screamed, thrashing about

Erza looked at the soldier in confusion and her eyes drifted down to his lower body, which had been enveloped in the liquid. Her eyes widened in horror. Pieces of flesh were falling away from his lower body. Boils were appearing on the flesh leftover. He desperately thrashed about, trying to free himself from Erza's grip, as though that would actually help him.

"Oh God! It hurts so bad!" The soldier yelled, eyes wide in pain with visible red veins in his eyeballs. "Someone...please! Please! Not here...not in a place like this! I...I want to go home!"

"IT HURTS!" The soldier let out an earsplitting scream that nearly made Erza drop him before going limp.

"Oh...oh God…" Erza gazed at the body of the man in her arms in horror.

Erza then heard the screams of those who were half submerged in the black liquids. Her eyes widened as she watched them scream and sink into the liquids, their bodies covered in boils and half melted flesh. However, each man only got off one scream before going limp and sinking completely

"One of the most fascinating discoveries we made about Project Wine," Sagi continued from inside the palace, thinking back to his great success, "was that the more someone is submerged into the liquids, the quicker they die. However, if someone is removed from the liquids...their death becomes so much more painful. It's basically like being dropped into a meat grinder head first...versus being slowly lowered in feet first."

Erza's entire body shook in horror as she realized on her own the possibility that her efforts in trying to save this man's life may have only prolonged his end. "Erza!" She heard Jellal call out to her, snapping her out of her state.

"J-Jellal," Erza muttered, "I...I tried to save him."

"I know," Jellal nodded, "come on, we have to reorganize the troops. But first…"

Jellal saw a break between the fleeing troops and Project Wine. "I've only got one shot at this," Jellal muttered, "Shooting Star!"

Jellal fired a powerful beam of light that tore across the ground between Project Wine and his men. The blast created a deep chasm that allowed Project Wine to pour into like a waterfall. "Damn it, it's not enough." Jellal grit his teeth, "and my skill in Earth Magic isn't enough to dam the flow on my own. I'm not Jura. And Lyon's mopping up stragglers too..."

"All I can do," Jellal decided, "is blast more chasms to stop this flow! Shooting Star!"

Jellal created another chasm. And once the first chasm overflowed, the remains of Project Wine fell into the second one. Thankfully, this was enough. Jellal breathed a sigh of relief. He instinctively looked over at the carnage Project Wine was still able to cause and winced. He could see parts of the corpses of friend and foe alike, sticking out of the black waters.

"There will be no salvation for the monster who did this." He growled.

Jellal landed on the ground. "Status report!" He ordered one of his nearest officers, who just so happened to be Don Sai of the Happo Navy.

Sai saluted. "It's bad, sir." He said. "A ton of us got a way, but I think a quarter of our able-bodied troops were caught up in that liquid. But that doesn't compare to how bad the Coalition had it. I think only a tenth managed to flee. They surrendered without a fight after that."

"Can we save those who didn't make it?" Jellal asked.

Sai's face fell. "You know the answer to that, sir." He said. "I can't see a single sign of life in those black waters. And the ones we pulled out...they're not dying easy. Our medics our helpless. Damn it...I knew we shouldn't have left Hacchi behind with the wounded from the last couple of fights we had here."

Jellal placed a hand on Sai's shoulder. "We had no way of knowing they'd spring a trap on us like this."

"It could've been much worse." Sai sighed. "You came through for us, Commander. Thanks."

"No, if I came through for you, I would've saved everyone...and I couldn't." Jellal sighed. "All I can do for the dead now...is punish the monster who gave the order."

"Too much to ask for me to come with you?" Sai glared at Jellal. "I've got a bone to pick with this guy too. The Happo Navy tries not to get too attached to people, but this…"

"It's not a sin to care about your comrades, Sai, never forget that." Jellal told him. "But I need you here to keep the troops organized in case a counterattack happens. If Shinji comes back from his own fight, he'll take command and then you can join us...if you can make it there, of course."

"Oh, I'll find a way." Sai growled. "I ain't gonna let this stand either, you know."

Jellal flew up into the air, only to be suddenly joined by Erza and Temari as well. "You plan to join us?" Jellal asked in surprise.

Temari was floating atop her fan. "I have no intention of forgiving someone like that." She growled. "Sand Shinobi that I grew up with and trained with died down there!"

"I understand." Jellal nodded.

 _I can sense Rogue's magic power too...he seems to have become one with the shadows and is actually moving underneath the liquid. That's good. So it'll be a four on one fight._

Sai suddenly leapt atop Temari's fan, much to the girl's surprise, as evidenced by the girl frantically trying to keep the fan level. "Sai, I gave you an order to stay down with the others." Jellal reminded him.

"And I passed that role down to my gramps." Sai told him. "Forgive me, sir, but to fight a guy who's willing to commit acts like this...you need all the help you can get! Besides, Gramps can keep things organized until Hirako gets here."

Jellal sighed at the insubordination. Still, Sai had a point. "Alright," he said, "let's get moving, everyone."

Erza narrowed her eyes. In her arms was the Naruto Shadow Clone that the real Naruto had sent with them while he fought Ulquiorra. She had managed to find him in the chaos once more.

With that, six individuals moved towards the palace. Their target, the man responsible for all of these atrocities. Their target...one of the Nine Dark Circles.

 **A.N: So...I guess we can start preparing a bunch of graves right now, yeah? I'll be honest. I haven't been one hundred percent satisfied with a lot of the recent chapters. I mean, I still think they're good, but I also can't help but think I can still do a lot better. I don't know, maybe I'm reading too much into it and I'm just a perfectionist. Well, I hope everyone else at least enjoyed this chapter. I'll see you next time.**


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